100 Days & 100 Nights
by UniqueMuffins
Summary: "If you wait for me 100 days and 100 nights outside my balcony, on the 100th night, I will be yours." A foolish blonde guard falls in love with the dark and intimidating prince. Will his unrequited love last 100 days and nights?
1. Cento Giorni e Cento Notti

**This is based on a story I heard in Italian class; it's from the movie **_**Cinema Paradiso**_**, if you're wondering~ This is a rough translation (trying to use my own skills as well as Google translator) of what we got in class. I decided to make my own original, detailed KuroFai version of this with my own ending [; Plus I really wanted to write a KuroFai xD The original story is bellow, and after that it will be the chapters I wrote.**

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><p>Once there was a king who held a party for his most beloved daughter, the princess, in his kingdom. A soldier who stood guard saw the daughter of the king. She was the most beautiful of all and immediately he fell in love. One day he approached her and said he could not live without her. And the princess, impressed by his strong feelings, said, "If you can wait for one hundred days and one hundred nights under my balcony, in the the end, I will be yours!"<p>

The soldier waited one day, two days, ten and then twenty. Each evening the princess checked out of her window, and he had never moved. Through the rain, the wind, and the snow he was still there. The bird's shit on his head and the bees ate him alive but he did not move. After ninety nights he had become all dry and white from the tears from his eyes and he did not have the strength even to sleep ... but the Princess always saw him. On the 99th night, the soldier got up, and left.


	2. The 22nd Day&Night

**Consider this a . . . prologue ;D The two don't really interact yet, its more background stuff I guess. But I hope you enjoy it~**

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><p><em>Tonight would make the 22<em>_nd__ night, wouldn't it?_ Kurogane thought, staring at his high gray ceiling. The bed he was laying on was rather large even for someone as tall as him, but everything in the palace was extravagant and larger then it needed to be. The dinner table could seat about fifty people when less then ten sat there every night, and the ceilings were raised so high even a giant could fit through. _Twenty-two already…_

"What a fool," he mumbled, "waiting for someone he hardly knows."

It was only a few weeks ago that the King, Kurogane's father, had thrown a coming-of-age party for Kurogane. He'd noticed one of the guards peering at him every so often, but he had thought those ice blue eyes were full of envy. Most of the looks he got were full of jealousy of the life he had, the riches and power he possessed.

A few days afterwards, the guard with the blue eyes had approached him, rambling on a confession. A love confession. Kurogane had been surprised that he was serious, yet somehow slightly intrigued. What intrigued him, he was still trying to figure out. Yet he made a deal:

"If you can wait 100 days and 100 nights outside my window, on the 100th night, I'll be yours."

Kurogane forgot why he made the promise in the first place. Most likely, it was because he thought no one would be stupid enough to wait that long. If he were given the same task, he would give up.

But tonight marked the 22nd night, and the guard with the blue eyes was still out there.

_Eighty-eight more days to go…_ he thought. _I'd like to see how long this game will last._

Yet he hadn't even learned until recently what the guard's name was.

"Fai D. Flourite had been off his post lately," the King said on the 16th night, as they ate dinner.

Kurogane vaguely remembered the blonde guard; sometimes he'd greet him as he left the castle. And where else had he seen him before…? He couldn't remember right now. He'd also seen Fai chatting with the other guards sometimes, and recalled that he was always smiling.

Like a fool.

Kurogane sat up on his gray bed and ran his fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes, wondering why he was thinking about such foolish things, yet at the same time he also felt foolish for misinterpreting Fai's gaze that day. Everyone always told him they were envious of his grandiose lifestyle, of the power he, the Prince, had. He'd just assumed a poor, petty guard felt the same.

Or didn't he?

He'd said he loved him, but was he really after the money, the luxuries, the attention, just like everyone else? He didn't doubt it.

Slowly he pulled on his curtain ever so slightly so he could take a peek and see if Fai was still there. He hoped the blonde guard couldn't see him.

But Fai was still there, a grasshopper perched on his finger and a lonely smile drawn on his face.

_He's here again. That sorrowful fool._

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><p><strong>Yay! End of Chapter 1Prologue~ Enjoyed? Disliked? Thought it was boring? Thought it was amazing? All reviews welcome! Chapter 2 will be up . . . eventually.**


	3. The 35th Day&Night

"Today makes 35, hmm?" Fai said to a stray dog, who replied by slapping its big slobbery tongue across his face. Fai crossed another date off the small calendar he'd brought with him, and then pat the dog's coarse black fur. It was jet black—just like the Prince's hair. Fai had been serving the royal family for 12 years now, and he remembered that when he had first become a guard the Prince's hair had always been spiky, thick, and black as his eyes. Hardly anything about him seemed to have changed since then.

So Fai hadn't expected this from him. He'd expected him not to care, to not even acknowledge him. Yet instead, he made a proposal—to wait 100 days—and although it was odd, Fai couldn't refuse it. This was probably the only chance he had.

"Sixty-five more days. . . ." he mumbled to the starry sky, for the dog had trotted away. He could feel a storm was coming, and there was a rumble of thunder in the distance. How odd, Fai thought, that the Prince hadn't even checked once yet to see if he was really here. Sometimes Fai wondered if this was even worth it, if the prince didn't even know he was here. Maybe he'd forgotten.

But… that couldn't be. In the 12 years Fai had known him, he knew Kurogane wasn't the type of person to go back on his word.

So far the nights had been peaceful and quiet. He'd had nothing to accompany him but the grasshoppers and occasionally the stray dog. The weather was fair, for the most part…

_Drip, drip, drip…._ A few raindrops fell onto Fai's face, and then suddenly the clouds seemed to burst and unleashed their downpour. The rain was needle-like and chilling, and briefly he wondered if he would catch cold from this. But he remained sitting there.

As he leaned against the castle wall, eyes closed, he heard a noise behind him. Someone was jostling the window. It opened, and a hand came out, clutching something. "Here," a gruff voice came from inside. He realized what it was holding—an umbrella.

Fai wasn't sure what to say. As force of habit, he simply smiled and replied, "No, thank you, your Highness."

"You can keep it," the growly voice insisted, still not showing his face.

He took the umbrella. "Thank you."

A muffled, "Hmph," came in reply.

"So tell me, my Prince," Fai said, noticing Kurogane had not closed the window. "What exactly made you think of this? Waiting one hundred days and nights?"

There was no immediate response. After a few seconds, Kurogane replied, "A fairytale."

"You believe in fairytales, sir?"

"Not really. I didn't actually think you would do this."

"You think I would lie, sir?"

"…Stop calling me 'sir,'" he said. "Anything but 'sir.'"

"Of course," said Fai, still grinning his lonely grin.

There was a pause, and then Kurogane asked, "Do you believe in fairytales?"

"I like to read them," Fai replied. "But you never really do see unicorns and goblins wandering about, do you, Kuro-rin?"

"That's tr—Wait, what did you just call me?"

"You said to call you anything except 'sir.'"

Kurogane stuck his head out of the window, and the pouring rain immediately soaked his hair. "Well my name sure as hell isn't Kuro-rin either!"

Fai couldn't help but chuckle. He was getting so flustered over a nickname…. How silly.

"You know," Fai said, "this is the first time you've looked at me in 35 days."

Kurogane stared blankly at him. Water droplets dripped from his face onto the umbrella. "I suppose it is…"

"You should probably go back inside now, Kuro-tan, I wouldn't want you to get sick because of me."

Kurogane's eyebrows furrowed at the name 'Kuro-tan,' but he pulled his head back inside. "…Right. 'Night, fool."

"Good night, Kuro-sama~"

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

A dull spark glimmered through the rain.

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><p><strong>A short and sweet chapter. Next chapter will have some cameos with other CLAMP characters. ;D Anyway, all kinds of reviews are welcome! I will update when I can!<strong>


	4. The 43rd Day&Night

**Chapter 3! This one took a little longer to do just because I was playing around with a variety of ideas… But I hope you like it! ^_^**

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><p>Today was a much more pleasant day then it had been in the past week. The rain, and all traces of it, were gone; the sky was blue and endless, bereft of even the smallest of clouds.<p>

Kurogane walked on the stone path that led to the witch's house reluctantly, a guard on each side. Fai was on his left (for he could only sit under his window when he was off duty), and on Kurogane's right was a young guard who had joined recently named Kazahaya Kudo.*****

Staring at the small but decorated house, Kurogane grit his teeth, dreading what was inside. After every Prince's coming-of-age ceremony, they were supposed to go to a fortune-teller of some sort where their futures would be read. Mostly it was done due to tradition; however in the past it was used in order to prevent a reign of bad kings. The fortune-teller would tell them what their future kingship might be like and how they could alter it. _Predicting my future as King,_ Kurogane thought angrily. _What's the point? What will be, will be._

Yet he wasn't looking forward to what was inside not because he thought it was stupid and pointless—the witch they had hired was one on high demand, and she was so popular that even royalty couldn't arrange a meeting until a month and a half later.

And why was she so popular? Her methods were accurate, yet unorthodox. She was well known for sometimes traumatizing her clients. When Kurogane asked his father why he chose her, he simply said, "She's a family friend. And if it prevents future tragedies…"

Fai and Kazahaya opened the double doors of witch's house and Kurogane stepped inside. As the doors creaked shut behind him, he was trapped in infinite darkness.

"Welcome," a distant, lazy voice said. About thirty candles ignited, their purple flames illuminating the room, and a woman with long, charcoal black hair came into view. A pipe clutched in her left hand, she was laying lazily on a futon, grinning slyly at him. The kimono she wore was scarlet with golden birds scattered across the fabric, and Kurogane could've sworn he saw one move. _Scarlet and gold, the royal colors…_ Kurogane thought. And then she spoke, in a low, lulling voice.

"Prince Kurogane, please have a seat."

Kurogane sat distractedly in the leather chair across from the futon. "So you know my name. What's yours, then?"

"There isn't a single soul in this country who doesn't know your name," the witch said matter-of-factly. "As for me, I have been called many names. But you may call me Yuko."

"Alright, Yuko," Kurogane said impatiently. The witch's I'm-better-than-you aura was getting on his nerves. "So what's my future?"

"Would you like some tea?" Yuko asked, ignoring his question as if he'd never asked it. _She wants me to play by her rules_, Kurogane thought. She was the first person who ever treated him like that . . . it was odd.

"Maru, Moro?" she called. From what Kurogane guessed was a back room, two little girls carrying a tray appeared—one with short pink hair and the other with long blue hair in pigtails. "Pour some tea for Prince Kurogane, will you?"

"Tea for Prince Kurogane!" the pink-haired one chimed.

"Tea for Prince Kurogane!" the pigtailed one repeated.

Kurogane took the cup they gave him and sipped it. Maru and Moro did not pour Yuko a cup, but simply gave her a bottle full of liquid that didn't look like tea…instead it appeared to be…sake.

"You're drinking? At this hour?" Kurogane asked.

"Well, why not? Its drinking time somewhere in the wolrd!" Yuko laughed melodically.

_Great… A drunk old lady's going to tell me my future?_ Kurogane thought. _What's so amazing about her?_

Seeming to be content and comfortable now, Yuko said, "Let's begin, shall we?"

"You're not going to do so crazy palm reading or stuff like that, are you?"

"Unnecessary. I already know what I'm going to tell you."

Kurogane waited this time for her to speak, deciding pushing her would only make him wait in this odd candle-lit room longer. Besides, the smoke puffing from her pipe was beginning to make him drowsy. Yuko looked at him for a few seconds, took another sip of her sake, and then began to speak.

"There is no doubt in my mind you will be a good King, Kurogane. You appear angry and apathetic, however you're actually very kind-hearted. You don't try to interfere with people's lives…unless you see it as necessary. Your judgment is good. Among other things, you have qualities befitting a good King."

He wasn't expecting this. He expected her to tell him he was to be a terrible ruler, one that started many wars and caused people to suffer, etc., what he usually heard in stories about these kind of meetings. Again, he wondered what the point in his coming here was.

Kurogane made no immediate response. Instead he stared at the witch as if he didn't believe her. "I hauled my ass all the way out here just to hear that?"

The witch laughed again. "Be patient. There is one more thing." Yuko took another swig of sake. "You will be a good King… however your Queen will be a different story."

"Queen?" Kurogane repeated.

"Yes, your 'Queen.'" This time the witch put 'Queen' in air quotes with her fingers. "One will make you a stable leader. You will take no risks, and this 'Queen' will easily be accepted with public and family opinion. The other… is the exact opposite. You will take awhile to gain public support. And your family…they will never be comfortable with your choice."

"Then the choice seems obvious," said Kurogane.

She grinned. "You think so? The heart works in strange ways, Kurogane. You may find yourself thinking otherwise… Either way, I already know who you will choose, what actions you will employ. After all, there is no such thing as coincidence. There is only _hitsuzen_." She drank more of the sake.

"Hitsuzen?" Kurogane repeated.

"The inevitable," said the witch.

Kurogane stared more intensely at the witch. "So if what you say is true, and I'll be a good King no matter what, why does my choice in 'Queen' matter?" The smoke coming from the pipe was making him dizzy now. It definitely was not normal smoke.

"You are wise, Kurogane. And maybe I should have chosen my words more carefully before... You will be a good King so long as you do not let your 'Queen' influence your judgement. However, this is part of a bigger lesson you need to learn… You must choose between what everyone else wants, and what you want. What is easy, and what is right."

Kurogane simply nodded, his mind lethargic. Yuko wasn't making much sense anymore. He still didn't see why this was so important… Was she more concerned about him then his kingship? Or did she have some bigger plan…? His head throbbed.

Yuko finished off her sake. "Now… do you have any other questions you would like to ask me?"

"…Will I see you again?"

"If we are destined to meet again, we will. There is no such thing as coincidence. There is only _hitsuzen_."

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><p><em>Hitsuzen<em>, Kurogane thought, annoyed. _Is she serious?_ Day had turned to night, and Kurogane was listening to grasshoppers humming through his open window, which had stayed open for the past week. "Damn witch."

"What did Yuko say, Kuro-cchi?" came Fai's voice from outside.

"Ku-ro-ga-ne!" roared the Prince. "Not Kuro-cchi!" He paused, then said, "How do you know the witch's name?"

"…We happened to meet once."

"Hmm." Kurogane stuck his head out the window. The grass-hoppers surrounded Fai, playing their nighttime song for him as if they were the orchestra and he was their conductor. "Well I've sure got a headache from whatever the hell she was smoking.

Fai was wearing his usual silly grin. "So what'd she tell you that's made Kuro-rinta so grumpy?"

"She didn't tell me much aout my future as a King. She said I'd be fine with that. Instead, she warned me about choosing a 'Queen.'" He put the word 'Queen' in air quotes just as Yuko had done. "Unless choosing a 'Queen' leads to the apocalypse—"

Fai shrugged, still grinning. "No use crying over spilt milk, right? You won't be King for a while. Just enjoy the present."

"If you really think that," Kurogane said, looking at the blonde guard. "Then you should start enjoying the present, too."

"I already a—"

"Don't lie to me. I could tell from the first time you came here that something was haunting you. We've never had a kid come here before. True," he said quickly as Fai opened his mouth to protest, "you're the same age as Kazahaya, but that kid started here last year, not when he was eight."

Fai stared at him, dumbstruck. Then, he said, "It's getting late, Kuro-sama, you should probably get some sleep."

Withdrawing his head back into his room, Kurogane said, "You don't have to tell me your past. But don't go preaching to me about happiness before you even find it yourself."

The lights in Kurogane's room turned off. Quietly, to himself, Fai mumbled, "He always sees the parts of me best left unseen...Yet, Kuro-sama, you have things haunting you as well..."

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

The grasshoppers sang a woeful tune.

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><p><strong>I apologize for the lack of KuroFai in this one ._. There will definitely be more in the next chapter!~ Liked? Hated? Please review!<strong>

*** For those of you who have read CLAMP's **_**Legal Drug**_**, you'll recognize this name. He's the main character. **


	5. The 49th Day&Night

**Halfway through the days/nights now! Ahh this story is getting more and more fun to write. x3 Oh! I just remembered: I corrected a few mistakes I found in the previous chapters. They were small, like using the word "already" instead of "hardly" && I said Kurogane's eyes were black instead of red . . . but little stuff like that bugs me. So I fixed it. Incase any of you actually cared.**

**Anway, read the chapter! I'm rambling too much today.**

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><p>The stray black dog trotted over to the blonde man at the wall and sniffed him tentatively before curling up at his feet. Fai pat its coarse fur and scratched it behind the ears just as he always had when it came to visit him. However he knew that soon he would have little company, for the days were getting colder, and in a few weeks time the first snow would begin to fall. He figured the dog would then probably seek refuge in warmer places or someone's home. And whenever it did begin to snow, Fai would still be outside Kurogane's room, waiting.<p>

Grabbing the withered calendar that had stayed with him for 49 days now, he crossed off that day's date. _It must nearly be midnight now…_ Fai thought. _Fifty days…. Halfway there._

Involuntarily, he shivered. Noticing this, the stray licked Fai's cheek, seemed to almost smile at him, and trotted off. The nights had gotten much colder then the days, and the grasshoppers hadn't been around much lately, for they had sought out warmer shelter sooner than the dog had. But it wasn't as if Fai wasn't used to the cold—after all, his home country was covered in white snow all year 'round. He could tolerate it.

Still, he preferred heat to ice.

Suddenly, a gruff voice came from above. "Hey, fool," it said.

"Ah, hello Kuro-pon. You're still awake?" Fai inquired, staring up at the Prince.

"I need to give you something," Kurogane replied. He reached into his room and produced a thick and long knitted sky blue blanket. "Its supposed to get cold soon."

"I don't really mind the cold," said Fai as Kurogane dropped the blanket onto his lap.

Kurogane grunted. "Well its yours now, so you can do whatever the hell you want with it."

Despite his former remark, Fai wrapped himself in the blanket, enjoying the warmth for a change this night.

"Say…" Kurogane spoke up suddenly. "Do you ever get lonely out here?"

Fai made no immediate response. For twelve years he'd been alone. Even around people, he was alone. But did he ever get _lonely_? Only now did he think about it.

"Listen." Fai heard some movement from above, and a few seconds later the Prince landed next to him. "I'm not forcing you to do this."

"I'm not lonely as long as I'm near you, Kuro-pon."

"Such a corny line," replied Kurogane, but his face turned slightly pink. Although a little bit of warmth had reached his face, as Fai looked at the Prince, he noticed he was only wearing a thin black t-shirt and pants. Even though he didn't say anything, the goose bumps on his arm were clearly visible in the moonlight. Fai threw half the blanket over the Prince so the two were wrapped together against the wall of the castle. Kurogane said nothing to this.

After a few moments time, Kurogane said, "Y'know, it was around this time five years ago that the Queen disappeared."

"Ah, yes, your father sent out dozens of search parties and no one could find her," said Fai. "It was really quite strange; we looked everywhere in town for your mother and couldn't find her. But your father concluded that she didn't want to be found."

"Heh, you know, I don't think I've ever called the King my 'father.'"

"And why would that be, Kuro-ponta?"

"Because even though he is, he's not my real father."

"Oh? So the Queen had an affair?"

Kurogane shot him a look and shook his head. "You know the Queen. She was too ditzy to ever think about doing something like that. Its just that the King and Queen aren't my biological parents. But they were kind enough to be a substitute."

"What?" Fai blinked, astonished. "Well, I suppose you never really did look like His Majesty. He was always paler and lighter haired than you. Even the Queen. Would you be a nephew, then?"

"You know the King doesn't have any siblings." The Prince took a side-glance at Fai, who appeared to be waiting for him to go on. Kurogane sighed. "My parents, who were the Queen's childhood friends, were killed in that small war from fifteen years ago. The one no one seems to acknowledge because we lost," he added bitterly. "The only reason they took me in was because the Queen was infertile and they needed an heir. Unluckily, the King and Queen were both only children."

_Or maybe this is that_ hitsuzen _the witch was talking about?_ Kurogane thought. _Ah, why am I telling the fool all this anyway? Why did I bring up the Queen in the first place? I could've said nothing… I didn't have to trust him. Maybe I wanted to? But that's impossible, _he thought angrily to himself_, impossible—I told myself I wouldn't get close to anyone—yet—I—_

And before he could react, something warm, soft, and delightful pressed against his lips.

Kurogane sat their, frozen, unable to react at first. He didn't pull away or resist, and found himself slowly close his eyes. Somehow, their hands met, and Kurogane clenched Fai's fingers tightly, as if to confirm it was real. The kiss had only lasted about ten seconds, yet to both it seemed ceaseless.

As soon as Fai broke away, Kurogane released Fai's hand and pulled his own up to his face to cover it. "W-w-what was that for?"

"Aw! Kuro-puu's blushing!~" Fai laughed.

"Hey! Stop it!"

Fai chuckled a little more, then spoke, his tone light but serious, a small smile still on his face. "After you stopped talking you has this distant lonely look in your eyes. And I thought I should give you something after all you've given me. This blanket, the umbrella, a home, an opportunity…and this," Fai chuckled a little more. "I haven't laughed in a long time."

Kurogane removed his hand from his face, staring at the blonde guard. His heart was still hammering rapidly from the shock of the kiss.

"Y-you really are a fool."

"Hey, Kuro-pii," Fai went on, not acknowledging his comment. "Do you ever get lonely? In the castle?"

Kurogane made no reply.

"If you ever do, you always know where to find me."

Kurogane wan't sure what he was feeling. It was something foreign, which he did not like, but something that provided a warmth the blanket could not give. He raised his arm and stretched it over Fai's far shoulder, clasped his hand around it, and pulled the blonde closer to himself. Fai shifted his position and huddled closer to him, placing his head on Kurogane's chest. _He's so warm..._ thought Fai.

The lonely pair sat like that for a majority of the night, not quite so lonely anymore as they once were.

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

A midnight kiss entwined their fingers with red string.*

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><p><strong>Just some KuroFai fluffy-ness before I make you all mad at me with future tragedies 8D Haha anyway it wasn't all fluff, there was something important in there . . . And if things go as I plan them to, you miiight wanna remember it. xD Anyway, Kurogane is making it harder to write scenes like this. Its hard to make him show his feelings, and he threatens me with Ginryuu everytime I try to make him do it D8 Haha anyway enough of my insane ramblings; the next chapter will be up eventually. 8]<strong>

***For those unfamiliar with the 'red string of fate' legend, its basically a Japanese fairytale saying that there is a red string tied around your pinky, and that the other end is attached to the pinky of the special someone just for you. I think thats basically it~ But its in most manga (especially CLAMP's stuff), so I think most of you guys know it already xD**


	6. The 53rd Day&Night

**Ah! No way! It's been a month since I've updated? I'm sorry if this seems late~ I had writer's block for the longest freakin' time. Anyway, a couple new characters are introduced in this chapter! One's an OC; normally I'm not too fond of OC's, but this one's minor, so I guess it works. Either way, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!**

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><p>"Goodbye, Kurogane-dono," the red haired princess said politely, just as she'd done all night.<p>

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Princess," Kurogane replied tersely. They bowed to each other, and then the princess left with her attendant.

"What did you think of Princess Yumi?" asked Shira, coming up to the table Kurogane was sitting at and refilling the delicate porcelain cups with tea. Shira was a lean, pretty young maid with short black hair whom had waited on Kurogane ever since he came to the castle. Now, the two were in the Dining Hall, and the extremely long dining table had been momentarily replaced with a small round table set for two.

"Are we done yet?" Kurogane said irritably. For the entire day he'd done nothing but meet princesses (or future sextoys as Shira called them) from various kingdoms.

"I'm not getting any younger, and you're of age now," the King had said after seeing Kurogane's displeasure in having twenty-three blind dates in one day. "You're being ungrateful, you know, any man would _love_ to be in your shoes right now," he'd teased.

Shira chuckled. "Impatient as ever I see. You've seen twenty-two girls today, you think you'd be interested in at least one of 'em…unless you're seeing someone else?" Shira joked. Kurogane choked on the tea he was drinking and started coughing. "It was just a joke," Shira said when he stopped, and Kurogane glared at her as he saw her smirk. She walked across the long room to greet the last and final princess of the night.

_Dammit…_ Kurogane thought. _Why did my mind go straight to him? Are we even…together?_ Neither of the two had spoken of the kiss or had done it again since it happened. But Kurogane could tell that recently Fai had seemed significantly happier. He still smiled like a fool but the loneliness in his eyes had dimmed. Even Kurogane himself had changed slightly since that night. Whenever he was near Fai his cheeks would flush or he'd feel lightheaded or his heart would beat harder. Sometimes he feared it was so loud that Fai could hear it, but if the blonde guard did, he didn't say anything.

_No, all we did was kiss, _he thought._ We've never been together. There're still 47 more days left until…Wait, only 47? It's been that long? _The days were catching up with him. He hadn't given much thought to what he'd do after it had been 100 days. When he first made the promise, he had no intention of being with some foolish stranger. But now… His former worries about Fai only wanting his status had vanished long ago, although he wasn't quite sure when. When had he started to trust Fai so much? _Dammit, why does my heart pound at the mere thought of him—_

"Kurogane," a female voice cut through his thoughts like a knife, and he blinked a few times. "I said, this is Tomoyo-sama." A petite girl with long black hair that reminded him of Yuko's stood next to Shira. Her kimono was also black and was dotted with sky blue flowers.

Embarrassed for being lost in his thoughts, he quickly stood up and bowed, seeing her do the same. "Pleasure to meet you, Tomoyo-hime."

"Oh, don't be so formal!" Tomoyo smiled, taking her seat across from him. "Call me Tomoyo-chan."

Kurogane simply nodded, slightly taken aback. The other princesses had been so formal with him, as if every word was rehearsed. Yet Tomoyo's smile seemed...genuine.

She reached across the table and put her small hand on Kurogane's forehead. "Are you alright, Kurogane-kun? Your face is all red. Do you have a fever?"

"Hm? N-no," he stuttered as she removed her hand. "No, I was just thinking about something before…" Tomoyo giggled. Silently swearing to himself, he tried to hide his embarrassment by changing the topic. "So, Tomoyo…chan. What kingdom are you from?"

"Tsuki, from the East," she replied, sipping her tea. "But let's talk about something more fun, instead of this boring formal stuff, hmm?"

"Ah, okay, then…what would you like to talk about, Tomoyo…chan?"

"I'd like to know more about you, not your kingdom. Stuff like…what do _you_ like? What do you do in your spare time?"

_Lately I've been talking to Fai_, he thought. _Actually…what did I do in my spare time before Fai? "_I've always liked swords."

"Oh! Swords are awesome!" Kurogane's eyes widened in surprise at Tomoyo's outburst. "Er, well it must be odd to hear a girl say that. But my uncle was a sword smith, and I used to watch him make swords all the time when I was little. It's a very interesting process."

"It is," Kurogane replied, although he wasn't particularly interested in how swords were made as much as the finished product.

"So, do you collect swords then?" Tomoyo inquired, leaning forward slightly.

"Not really. But I do have one."

"Only one?"

"Only one."

"That's odd. As royalty, you really could collect as many swords as you want. People usually collect things they're interested in—"

"It was my fathers," he replied plainly.

"Oh, I see! So it's more like a family heirloom, then?"

Kurogane nodded, but said no more. It wasn't the King's, really, it was his _real_ father's—but she didn't need to know that.

"Does it have a name?" she continued. "My uncle always named his swords. He said it gave them personality."

"It's name is Ginryuu."

"Ooh, Silver Dragon! So cool!" Tomoyo beamed, her eyes sparkling.

Kurogane chuckled a little. _She's an interesting one_, he thought. _She can keep up a conversation, that's for sure. She's definitely not like the other princesses…_

"What do you like, Tomoyo-ch...an?"

"I really like singing and making clothes. I've always liked the arts. I think sword-making is an art as well."

"Singing? I've never heard of a princess who likes to sing. That's usually a peasant's job. You're really strange, y'know."

"Hey! I can have dreams! I didn't laugh at your interests."

"That's because mine are better." Kurogane found himself smirking. She sure was easy to tease, too.

"You're so mean, Kurogane-kun!" She said it like she was angry, but after a few seconds she was laughing too.

"Well, I never wanted to sing to make money. But my mother sang to me when I was younger, and her voice is beautiful. I want to sing to my kids, too."

"I see. So it's not a completely useless dream," Kurogane replied, and Tomoyo smiled.

"Look at the time!" Shira interrupted. "Each princess was supposed to have 15-20 minutes only. Looks like your time's up."

"Already?" Tomoyo questioned. Kurogane hadn't really been paying attention to the time, but was surprised that twenty minutes had gone by so soon. "Well, okay. I had fun talking to you, Kurogane-kun. Let's meet again?"

"Yeah. See you soon, Tomoyo-chan," Kurogane replied, and then Shira escorted Tomoyo out. When Tomoyo met her attendant at the door, Shira came back to Kurogane, a pleased expression on her face.

"Looks like you two really hit it off," she remarked with a wink.

"She's different than the others."

"The King will be so happy to hear this! I should set up another meeting for you two! You looked so cute together, and when you get married—"

"I never said I was marrying anyone," Kurogane snapped. "I just meant she talked to me like I was a person, not some status."

Shira grinned. "I know, I know, I got caught up in my fantasies. But you're going to have to choose a Queen sometime, you know."

A Queen. Suddenly, Kurogane remembered Yuko saying, _"One will make you a stable leader…the other quite the opposite."_ If Shira was right… which type of Queen would Tomoyo be?

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><p>With the blanket Kurogane gave him wrapped around himself, Fai crossed another day off the calendar. He should be back any minute now… Fai thought. Today, the guards had been informed that the Prince was meeting twenty-three eligible princesses to be his bride today, so they shouldn't be alarmed if many people were coming to the castle today.<p>

_Twenty-three different princesses…I wonder what they were like? And…what does Kurogane think of them?_ Suddenly, his stomach churned. _I never even thought about him choosing a princess from a different kingdom…What if he likes one of them more than me? I'm not royalty like them…so what if I can't…? _He shivered even though he was perfectly warm in the blanket.

_No, I can't think about that. Besides, he promised, and…he promised, so…_ His reasoning crumbled away as the unbearable thoughts of Kurogane choosing someone else flooded his mind._ I just have to trust him to keep his word. I have to—_

Click. Fai heard the door in Kurogane's room close, and he let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He heard the usual sound of the window opening, and then said, "How was your speed dating today, Kuro-tan?"

Kurogane grunted, sticking his head out the window. "Mostly, they were all the same. Polite and formal with rehearsed words. Then there was one at the end. She talked to me more…normally."

"Oh? And what was her name?"

"Tomoyo-chan."

Fai's heart caught in his throat. He choked on his words and was unable to speak for a few seconds. Kurogane never addressed anyone with a "-chan" or "-kun." He hardly even called Fai by his name.

"Shira got overexcited and started fantasizing about marriage," Kurogane continued when Fai said nothing.

"Tomoyo-san must be a cute girl."

Kurogane shrugged. "She's decent. But I've only talked to her for twenty minutes."

"Shira-chan seems to really like her. Plus she's a princess, so it'd be better if…"

"If what?" Kurogane prompted. "You mean to be with her instead of you?" When Fai didn't respond, Kurogane sighed. "I've only met Tomoyo-chan tonight. And I made a promise, didn't I? I won't choose her over you just because she's a cute girl. Her smile isn't nearly as nice as yours."

Fai blinked and turned to look at Kurogane for the first time that night. "What?"

Kurogane's face had gone slightly red. "Well, I mean... Ah, you're such a fool. I was wrong; you have the stupidest, most idiotic smile I've ever seen. Just forget it!"

Fai grinned. "Thank you, Kuro-sama."

"Whatever. I've had a long day. I should get some sleep. 'Night, fool."

"Goodnight, Kurocchi."

_I don't know why…_ Fai thought, _but I can't stop smiling._

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

A chess piece moved, and the game had begun.

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><p><strong>Wapah! End of chapter! For all of you who were wondering how long it would take him to speed-date the 23 princesses with a time limit of 15-20 minutes . . . I actually calculated it xD It would take him 5-7 hours. In the next chapter, Shira and Tomoyo will be appearing more often. That chapter will be up sooner then this one came up, hopefully. Thank you for all who are being patient with me!<strong>


	7. The 58th Day&Night

**This is the longest chapter I have written so far! :D Wooo!~ xD Tomoyo-chan will now be appearing frequently. Wow, you know I'm into the story when I start calling my characters stuff like that. Like, I always call Kurogane either Kuro or Kuro-rin especially in my rough drafts. xD Cuz I mean, after a while I get too lazy to write out "Kurogane." Actually, I guess I'm just more lazy than affectionate. Mikayla, if you're reading this, you can probably vouch for that. xD**

**Anyway, school has started for me, so I will update when I can! (I don't remember if I said this last time or not). Keep reading and reviewing! ;D Also, I'd like to thank the people who have been reading this aand reviewing it since the very beginning; alguien22792, Hitsugi Zirkus (who is also currently writing an AWESOME Tsubasa fic, btw), and Deathlycherry, plus anyone else I forgot. Thank you for supporting it thus far! ;D**

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><p>Before tonight, Kurogane had never set foot in the ballroom that was now decorated heavily and packed with guests. Or rather, he'd never formerly attended any official royal social event held here before. When he was younger he used to like to peek inside when his nanny was distracted to see what kind of party the adults were enjoying that he was forbidden from. Now that he was of age and finally allowed to come, the whole thing seemed boring and simply a waste of his time.<p>

He pulled uncomfortably at the black tie around his neck; he'd never worn a tuxedo before, and had never planned to, but because this was a royal event he was required to. Tonight was the 121st Nihon Royal Ball, and although Kurogane would rather be anywhere but here, as the King's son, he had to be. Alone, he was leaning against the one of the white walls in the southern part of the room, watching various couples dance to classical music played by the orchestra (which was on the other side of the room) or talk to other guests away from the dance floor.

"Tomoyo-san's still not here yet?" Shira asked as she came up to Kurogane, again, a silver platter of delicately prepared appetizers in her hands.

Shaking his head, Kurogane said, "No. But the ball only started five minutes ago, you don't have to ask me if she's here every 30 seconds."

Shira pouted. "But you two are just so cute together, and Tomoyo-san's so adorable! Besides, I haven't seen her in five days, and you got to see her yesterday."

Kurogane felt the edges of his lips twitch. "I see you've got a thing for Tomoyo-chan. Honestly, I'd like to make you Prince for the day and you can spend the whole night with her. But you're a little too…_feminine_ to pose as me."

Shira chuckled and Kurogane plucked one of the caviar-topped appetizers of the platter and plopped it in his mouth. "So you're saying you don't want to be with Tomoyo-san? She's really not that bad—"

"It's not her. I just don't want to be here. I don't like social events like this."

Nodding, Shira said, "Right." Then, peering over his shoulder, she added, "Hey, I think I see her!"

A small girl with long black hair was approaching Kurogane and Shira. The kimono she wore was lovely—it was a golden color with red roses patterned across it. She smiled gingerly as she reached them. "Good evening, Kurogane-kun, Shira-san."

"Hello, Tomoyo-san!" Shira beamed, offering her some food from the platter. Tomoyo took one and said thank you, grinning as she chewed.

"There, you've seen her. Now don't you have other guests to attend to?" Kurogane growled irritably.

Shira shot him a look, but bid farewell to Tomoyo and went over to an older couple who were sitting at one of the neat silk-covered tables on the right-hand side of the room.

"Um, Kurogane-kun?" Tomoyo said tentatively as she saw the scowl on his face. "Thank you for inviting me."

"Mhm," he replied. He knew he should have said something else, should have been nicer in his tone, but just being here put him in a foul mood.

Luckily, Tomoyo filled the silence for him rather quickly. "Oh, Kurogane-kun, I love this song! We should dance."

"You like Mozart?" Kurogane inquired, cocking an eyebrow. He wasn't too into music, especially classical stuff, but the King required him to know, at the very least, famous composers and some of their works.

Tomoyo nodded, and grabbing his hand, she pulled him into the throng of people on the dance floor.

"Wow, Kurogane-kun, you're a much better dancer than I thought," Tomoyo remarked, smiling up at him.

"I had lessons when I was a kid," he replied, feeling his anger melt away a little.

"Whoops!" Tomoyo squeaked as she accidentally stumbled on Kurogane's foot. "Sorry! Unlike you, I never had lessons…" She giggled nervously.

Smiling ever so slightly, Kurogane said, "It's fine, don't worry about it. Just follow my lead." Blush rose to Tomoyo's face as she scrambled to match Kurogane's pace. It was cute in it's own way, he thought.

Within a few minutes, the song ended, and everyone who was dancing stopped to applaud the orchestra. Before the next song started, a young couple made their way over to Kurogane and Tomoyo. The woman was wearing an elegant pink gown and the man wore a white suit bereft of even a speck of dust. Both were holding wine glasses that looked too fragile for their own good.

"My, my, how you've grown, Kurogane-san!" The woman exclaimed as she reached them. She took Kurogane's hand and shook it; the man did the same and inclined his head, grunting a greeting.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Suzuki," Kurogane replied curtly. Tomoyo simply smiled at them, unsure what to do.

"Last time I saw you, you weren't nearly this tall!" Mrs. Suzuki went on. Then, as if she just noticed Tomoyo was there, she added, "Oh, and who's this little darling? Your betrothed, I assume?"

"I'm Tomoyo Daidouji, from Tsuki," Tomoyo replied. "It's a pleasure to—"

"When's the wedding?" Mr. Suzuki asked.

"She's not my—" Kurogane started.

"It's about time you had a woman in your life," Mrs. Suzuki scoffed. "Ever since the Queen disappeared you've been neglecting your royal duties. I swear, the way the King raised you—"

"Don't talk about my parents!" Kurogane growled.

"But they're not even your real parents." At Kurogane's baffled expression, she went on. "The King told me. We've been friends for a very long time now, you see. And let me tell you, if it wasn't for that failure of a Queen this kingdom would be so much better off—"

"Like hell it would!"

"Kurogane-kun, please—"

Mrs. Suzuki furrowed he brows. "We would actually have a Queen if it weren't for her, one that wouldn't run away for no reason! One that could actually give this kingdom a pure-blood heir so we wouldn't have to settle for scrap like you! The poor King, how he must wish he could start over—"

"_Shut up!_" Kurogane roared. Before he knew it, he was staring at the Suzuki's, wine soaking their clothes and staining their faces. He realized a second too late that he'd knocked their wine glasses out of their hands and spilled their contents onto them. Broken glass was scattered on the floor, and everyone had turned to look at them. The room was oddly silent.

Embarassed and not knowing what else to do, Kurogane started quickly for the exit.

"Kurogane-kun, I—" Tomoyo started softly, grabbing his cuff, but he shook her off harder than he intended to and burst through the doors.

_Stupid,_ he thought to himself as he charged down the hallway. _Stupid, stupid, stupid. I haven't lost my temper like that in awhile…_ He turned left and headed for the front doors. _I should've ignored them. Why did I get so worked up?_ He opened the doors that led outside and closed them quickly, leaning against them and closing his eyes. _Tomoyo-chan probably thinks I'm prone to violent outbursts. Looks like I screwed up things with her, too…_

"Are you alright?" said a voice.

Kurogane rapidly opened his eyes, unaware that someone was with him. He looked to the right hand corner of the large doors where the voice had come from. Fai stood there, wearing his black guards' uniform, holding a spear that was to be used only in a situation of resistance. The gold buttons on his uniform gleamed in the moonlight.

He took a quick glance to his left, and then looking back at Fai, said, "Where's the kid?"

"You mean Kazahaya? He's taking a break. He's been covering some of my shifts, so I figured he could use some extra rest."

Kurogane simply nodded.

"Did something happen in there?" Fai inquired with a small, sympathetic smile.

"Mrs. Suzuki is still bitter that the King chose someone else over her. She started insulting the Queen and I lost my temper. I knocked their wine glasses out of their hands."

"And little Tomoyo-san didn't try to stop you?" Fai said, clearly amused by this.

"It's not funny," Kurogane snapped, but Fai still wore his foolish grin. "And I don't know what Tomoyo-chan's going to do." Kurogane noticed Fai stiffen slightly when he said "-chan," but he couldn't think of why that would bother him. "She probably thinks I have no self-control."

"Why…" Fai started. "Do you call her Tomoyo-chan?"

"I just embarrassed myself and all you're concerned about is what honorific I use for her?" Kurogane was beginning to get irritated with Fai. Usually when he confided in him Fai was more sympathetic. "She told me to call her Tomoyo-chan, so I did."

"How come…" Fai seemed hesitant to say his next thought. "How come you never call me by my name?"

Kurogane was taken aback. He hadn't called Fai by his first name simply because he didn't plan on ever talking to him in the beginning. Now, there really was no reason for it other than habit. Had it really been bugging him that much that he got jealous of Tomoyo-chan just because of what he called her? _How ridiculous_, Kurogane thought as he tried to suppress a laugh. _He's still a fool._

"Fool has a nicer ring to it," he finally said, thrusting his hands into his pockets and taking a few steps away from the door so he was standing at the top of the stone steps that led up to the castle. "It suits you better. Although if you really want me to, I suppose I could start calling you by your name…Fai." Kurogane looked over his shoulder at Fai, whose eyes were shining brightly, a stupid grin stretched ear to ear. Kurogane had no time to react before Fai proceeded to glomp him, knocking him over; both of them rolled down the stairs, Fai clinging to Kurogane the whole way down.

"Kuro-rin! I'm so happy!~"

"You idiot, we're rolling down the stairs!—"

"—this is the first time you've said my name—"

"—and if someone sees us—"

"—in all the years I've been here!—"

"—think before you act—"

"—I've waited so long for this day!~"

THUD. The two landed at the foot of the stairs, Fai sitting on top of Kurogane.

"Get off me, you jerk! What if some passerby sees us? A guard sitting on the prince—"

"But I'm not just a guard to you~ I'm Fai~ "

_Oh shit, he's letting it get to his head,_ Kurogane thought wearily. Briefly, he also thought that Fai's mood seemed to change very quickly, and wondered if he could ever keep up with him. Before he could say anything, another voice came from the top of the stairs. "Heeey, are you all right down there?"

It was Tomoyo's voice. Quickly, Kurogane pushed Fai off himself and responded, "Yeah, we're fine! We'll be up in a second." Shooting a look at Fai, Kurogane made his way up the stairs, not looking to see if Fai was following.

When he reached the top, Tomoyo asked, "What were you two doing at the bottom of the stairs anyway?" _She said two, so Fai's probably behind me right now, _Kurogane thought.

"I tripped," came Fai's voice, and he took a few steps to stand next to Kurogane. "When the Prince tried to catch me, we both fell."

"Oh, I see," Tomoyo smiled, and Fai returned with his usual grin. "And who might you be?"

"He's one of the palace guards, Fai D. Flourite," Kurogane said gruffly, seeing Fai brighten slightly again as he said his full name. "So, um, what happened back there?"

"Oh, the King took care of it all. Apologized and such."

"I see… I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Don't worry!" she exclaimed. "I would've done the same thing."

"You would've?" Kurogane replied, slightly taken aback.

"Er, well, I know it might me strange for me to say that. But I kind of think they got what they deserved. They were awfully rude. Mrs. Suzuki was, anyway."

"They're always like that, though," Kurogane said, rubbing the back of his head. He noticed Fai was eerily quiet behind him. Another mood swing already? He cleared his throat. "Well, I can't really go back to the party now. If I tried to apologize the Suzuki's would only get angrier with me… I'm sorry, Tomoyo-chan. I think I'm going to head back to my room."

"It's alright. I still had a fun time with you, even if it was short." Then, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Kurogane on the cheek. "I'll see you later then," she added with a wave and made her way down the long steps.

Fai seemed even more eerily quiet behind him, and suddenly feeling awkward, he cleared his throat again. "Well, the kid should be done with his break now, shouldn't he? Go get him, and then walk me back to my room. You never know if Mrs. Suzuki is planning some crazy counterattack and plans to pour expired carrot juice on me when no one's looking."

Fai grinned and said, "Okay," then went inside, leaving Kurogane alone in the cold night.

Something about that response, that grin, made him feel uneasy.

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><p>After Fai had assigned Kazahaya back to standing guard at the front gates, although he felt guilty, he returned to where he'd left Kurogane. As they walked almost in silence, he thought. <em>What is it about Tomoyo-chan that makes his face light up so brilliantly? She's more considerate than me. She can make him smile so much easier. She's funnier and never pushes him to do anything he doesn't want. Of course he'd like her better. Of course he would…<em>

Each second they walked in silence seemed to drag on. Fai didn't even know why Kurogane had asked him to walk him back to his room. He couldn't have been serious when he said he thought Mrs. Suzuki might do something. So if he wanted to talk, why hadn't he said anything?

When they finally reached his room, both stood there awkwardly. "Well… I guess I'll be going now. Goodnight, Kuro—"

"Wait." Kurogane caught his arm as he tried to walk away. Not sure how to respond, Fai just stood staring at him, waiting for him to speak.

But Kurogane did not speak. What he did took Fai completely off guard. In a matter of seconds, he closed the distance between them, and pressed his lips gently to Fai's. His eyes widened, but he did not resist. As always, he was so warm…

"You're so obvious when you're jealous," Kurogane said after he broke away. "Tomoyo-chan's not the only one who can give a goodnight kiss."

Fai felt his face immediately rise in temperature, and he simply stared at Kurogane again, eyes wide in shock. "Looks like I made you worry about me, huh…" he mumbled softly.

He intended for Kurogane not to hear it, but the Prince smirked. "Am I not supposed to worry about you? Fool."

Fai gave a weak smile. "But I'm just a guard."

"I haven't seen a princess yet who's willing to wait 100 days and nights for me."

Fai's heart leapt in his chest, and he looked away, trying to hide his blush. "Aw, Kuro-rinta, you're such a softie. Who knew behind this gruff exterior was a squishy, mushy—"

"Agh, shut up. Jeez, you're really more trouble than you're worth." The smirk on Kurogane's face was replaced with his usual irritated expression, his eyebrows furrowed and his eyes a bright red. "Anyway, I'm not soft. You're just a fool who creates these weird situations in his head and gets himself all worked up for nothing. You're really a pain," he added, still seeing that Fai was grinning again.

"Whatever you say~" Fai sang.

Kurogane opened the door to his tall and dull room. The walls were still white and his bed was still gray, and everything was neat and orderly. The floor was without even a crumb, and Fai could only wonder how the maids made it spotless. He noticed Kurogane hesitate before entering. "Goodnight, Kuro-sama."

"'Night… Fai."

Fai thought he could've danced and spun around with joy. It was silly, he knew. It was just his name. The boring three-letter-name he'd had since birth. There was really nothing special about him hearing his name at all. _But as long as you just call my name,_ Fai thought, _I'll be the happiest I've ever been._

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

A swallowtail's smoke covered the moon.

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><p><strong>So! Alot happened huh? Sorry if you thought it all happened too quick in a short amount of time. Also, I know I've been using honorifics and stuff, but for the Suzuki's I felt like I should just use Mr. and Mrs. Oh yeah, how many of you are angry yet with Tomoyo's cockblocking? xD When I say swallowtail at the end, you know I mean a swallowtail butterfly, right? Not to insult anyone's intelligence, I just wondered if it was a little vague. Actually, I feel like most of the things I have at the end are little vague things only I would get. But if you understand them, then awesome! 8D<strong>

**Next chapter will be up whenever! Please continue to read and review!**


	8. The 65th Day&Night

**Yay, another update! I'm sorry, this was supposed to be up like a week ago ;_; But I'm getting busy with school and such. Also, those of you doing NaNoWriMo know that that's starting in a couple days, so I will try to do my best to update even when I'm doing that! Good news is I basically have the rough drafts for the next to chapters written so they might not take forever to get up! Woooo!~ And now I present to you the 65th Day/Night. :3 Voila!**

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><p>Fai had not given much thought to his birthday, nor had he wished to since he left Seresu. Now that the fateful day had come again, he desired to simply ignore it. As long as he didn't mention it to anyone, no one would have to know.<p>

Currently, he stood outside the castle gate with Kazahaya. _He__'__s __a __good __kid __to __have __as __a __partner,_ Fai thought, _always __treats __me __with __kindness __and __doesn__'__t __question __me __when __I __ask __him __to __lie __for __me. _Although the guards would sometimes have single posts, more often they were stationed in pairs. They were divided into pairs that would always share the same shifts, always be in the same double-posts together. Besides himself and Kazahaya, the only other guards whose names' he knew were Sorata and Arashi, Doumeki and Watanuki, and Kamui and Subaru.

Although Fai liked Kazahaya and hated to keep burdening him by having him cover for him, more than anything he wanted to be near Kurogane, sitting underneath his window. To outsiders it might sound strange and stalkerish, but it was a routine they'd fallen into without giving it a second thought. Even if he couldn't be in the same room as him, at least he could be close to him, fulfilling his promise. It had become such a routine that Fai didn't know what he'd do when the 100 days were over.

_What would happen to us then?_

Fai shivered. The days were growing colder, although no snow had fallen. He was glad however—snow always made him think of Seresu.

Suddenly, the castle doors opened and the Prince strode out, his red eyes skimming what appeared to be a list.

"Good morning, my Prince," said Kazahaya and Fai together, both immediately standing straighter. Kurogane muttered a "hello" back. "Where might you be going today, sir?" asked Kazahaya curiously. "Not trying to skip out on your duties again, are you? I heard there was a meeting with a representative from the Hana Kingdom today—"

"Cancelled," Kurogane replied tonelessly, still staring at the piece of paper. After a few more seconds he folded the list and shoved it in the pocket of his black jacket. "I'm just going to get a few things, alright?"

"Should one of us come with you?" Fai asked, guiltily hoping he'd say yes.

"No, I should be fine. Its just a short trip." Kurogane started to walk away, but a thought popped up in the back of Fai's mind.

"Wait! I just remembered—there have been reports of conspirators prowling around…it wouldn't be wise to walk around alone, y'know?" It wasn't a complete lie. After what happened ten years ago on this day, it was more then likely that there were. Fai had a hunch, an intuition, more than actual proof.

Kurogane stared at him for a few seconds. "Alright then, Kazahaya, come with me."

Fai's heart sank. He knew it was wrong to want to leave behind his duties and be with Kurogane, but he couldn't help feeling slightly betrayed. Why pick Kazahaya? _Didn__'__t __he __want __to __spend __time __with __me? __Or __maybe __this __was __so __no __one __got __suspicious. __Or __maybe __he __doesn__'__t __trust __my __ability __to __protect __him__…__? Why am I more focused on being with him than worrying about his safety? If those people really are out there, it's good Kurogane at least took Kazahaya with him. But...why not me?_

Fai was so busy thinking up theories that he didn't hear the door open behind him. Surprised, he jumped as a voice said his name.

"Oh it's you, Subaru-kun," Fai greeted the other guard. Subaru looked just like he always did with his glasses, dark hair, and a friendly smile on his gentle face.

"Hello, Fai-kun," Subaru replied. "Where is Kazahaya-kun?"

"He went out with the Prince to do some errands."

"Oh, I see goo—Ah, I mean, do you need someone to cover his post while he's gone?"

"No, I should be fine by myself, thanks."

"If you say so," replied Subaru, and then he closed the castle doors and Fai was left alone again.

"Maybe it's just me," Fai muttered to himself, "but everyone seems to be acting strange today."

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><p>It was around 2 o'clock that afternoon that Kazahaya and Kurogane returned, carrying many bags with things they refused to show Fai. After helping Kurogane bring them inside, Kazahaya returned to his post but would not tell Fai anything about their trip. Fai found it all very suspicious and annoying, but decided that it was their business and he shouldn't press. After all, Kurogane was just running some errands. He must've just wanted to get out of the castle, at least. The only part he couldn't figure out was Subaru's odd behavior. Yet even with that, the only thing that was on his mind was the event from the day he left Seresu, hoping it would not repeat itself. He found no reason why it should, but was paranoid all the same.<p>

At 5 o'clock, two guards whose names Fai did not know came to take their places, as they were relieved for the day.

"Well then, Kazahaya, I'll see you tomorrow," Fai said with a small grin, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"Ah, Fai—actually, I'd like you to come with me for a few minutes, please," Kazahaya said.

Fai blinked, confused, but followed him without protest. Kazahaya led him past the Dining Hall and the King's Quarter's, and stopped in front of closet in the very back of the castle. This hallway was lined only with doors leading to closets; Fai found it very odd that they were back here. Both of them stood in front of it. After a few seconds, Fai asked, "Is there, um, something you want to show me in the…the closet?"

"Yes," replied the other boy, causing Fai's confusion to deepen. Kazahaya opened the door. At first, it was too dark for Fai to see...

"SURPRISE!" came a chorus of jubilant yells as the lights suddenly flickered on. Fai blinked rapidly, trying to take in everything at once. Like all the rooms in the castle, it was much larger than a normal closet usually was—it could have very well been a small room in a normal house. The walls were a dark gray (for after all, no one needs to make a closet pretty) and all the cleaning supplies had been shoved into the far back. Sorata, Watanuki, and Subaru were the ones who had shouted surprise, holding streamers and wearing party hats. Arashi, Doumeki, Kamui, and Kurogane mumbled 'surprise' and didn't seem to care much about what they were doing or why they were there. In the center was a small wooden table, and on the table was a bowl of punch and a small caked that said "Happy Birthday Fai!"

Fai was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a few moments. Instead of feeling gratitude like he should have, he simply uttered, "How did you…?"

"You're a fool." Kurogane spoke up. "It was on your guard information."

Fai flushed. As a kid, when he applied he must've used his real birthday…why hadn't he thought of a fake one?

Mistaking Fai's silence for being so happy he was speechless, Kazahaya ushered him inside.

"We're having a party…for my birthday…in a closet?" Fai said, dumbfounded.

"That's right," Watanuki beamed, coming up to him. The other attendees had already begun to talk amongst themselves. "It was the only place, believe it or not, that we could have a small private party in the castle without having to rent out space."

"And the Prince…?" Fai said quietly, pointing at Kurogane. Why was he here? Didn't he have better things to do then come to a closet party full of the castle's guards?

"We asked him if it would be okay to do this, and he not only agreed but wanted to come along." Watanuki shrugged. "Guess you should be happy the Prince wanted to come, even though it's odd."

Nodding, Fai thanked Watanuki and went to pour himself some punch. Confusion reigned over his mind. _How __am __I __supposed __to __feel? _Of course, he was overjoyed that they would do this for him, yet it all seemed so incredibly wrong. This was a day he'd normally never want to be celebrated, yet he felt happy knowing they cared…

"Hey," said a gruff voice. Fai turned around and saw Kurogane standing before him, wearing his usual black, his hands in his pockets.

Fai smiled, hoping to mask whatever emotion may have been on his face before. "Thank you for coming, Prince—"

"You seem off today," Kurogane said abruptly, looking uncomfortable about being called Prince.

"Oh, I apologize," Fai said lightly. "I'm really glad you all did this for me." He was telling the truth. Kurogane seemed unconvinced.

He stared at him for a while, his red eyes piercing through him. "I don't believe you. Normally, someone like you would be bouncing off the walls on their birthday. You're strangely subdued, for you."

"If I remember correctly, you seemed to be rather bored and irritated at your coming-of-age-party~" Fai teased.

"Stop trying to change the subject! Besides, that was because I don't like big, fancy parties. You should know that. However you, on the other hand, don't have much of an excuse for this."

Afraid others would overhear their conversation, Fai peered around the room, but luckily no one was listening; Watanuki, Doumeki, Subaru and Kamui were all talking loudly together on the far side of the room. They probably would have talked to Fai, but were too afraid of the Prince's dominance to ever intrude on a private conversation he was involved in. Sorata and Arashi were in a corner, giggling and whispering to each other.

"Listen, Fai," Kurogane said when Fai didn't respond, "your birthday's important. Even if its not to you, it's the day you came into existence, and I'm sure that matters to more people than you think."

Fai had to hold himself back from scoffing at this remark. It was sweet, and he wished he could have felt happy that Kurogane had said something sweet to him. But his words sounded wrong. Instead, he thought, _how __could __he __say __that? __My __existence __being __a __good __thing?_

Kurogane sighed, obviously annoyed. Suddenly he grabbed the blonde guard's wrist and yanked him forward. Fai made a noise of protest, but Kurogane surged forward, threw open the door, and slammed it behind him. Fai noticed that the other guards had been staring at them when they exited, but still no one followed after them. _Of __course, __none __of __them __would __question __the __Prince__…_

"Talk," Kurogane demanded after leading him a little way down the hall. Fai looked around nervously; there was no one in the corridor, and the only other rooms in the hallway were a few other closets. No one would overhear them, but…

"It's a long story," he said simply.

"We've got time." Kurogane's glare grew so intense that Fai thought he could feel his gaze burning a hole through him.

Fai sighed. His mind felt hazy. Of course he wanted to tell Kurogane, of course he'd like to finally confide in someone, but things would never be the same if he did.

"Alright," Fai finally said, meeting Kurogane's gaze, deciding that he wouldn't give up now that he knew something was off. "Ten years ago I served a kingdom in the north. One where it snowed all year long. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? I'm the sole survivor of the ghost town, Seresu."

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><p>Kurogane's mind was entirely blank as Fai spoke. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to think of Fai, or how he was supposed to react, or what any of this meant. He needed to wait for the puzzle pieces to come together.<p>

"So you're the Cursed Survivor," Kurogane said simply but immediately wanted to take it back; although Fai's face looked neutral, his eyes appeared hurt.

Nodding, Fai continued. "My brother and I worked as servants in the Sersu castle. Our parents abandoned us there. Oh, don't look at me like that. We were treated very kindly there. King Ashura told my brother and I that they couldn't take care of us so he took us in." Fai's eyes seemed to light up as he talked about his former King. "Being so young our work was fairly easy. Mostly they just had us do small tasks or help the maids clean the rooms.

"But anyway, there was a rumor going around for quite awhile during my time there that someone in Seresu had magical power greater than a god's. I assume you know of MAGI?"

"The Magically Assisted Genius Institute?" Kurogane said. "I heard they're more like a cult obsessed with creepy magical practices than an institute for geniuses."

Fai looked away and nodded again. "They heard about this rumor, of course. Everyone who belonged to MAGI was very interested, so all of them came to Seresu. Their leader gave the order to kill everyone, saying the one that lived would be the 'Chosen…'" Fai's voice quavered slightly as he finished the sentence. "They didn't show much mercy to anyone. Seresu was a generally quiet and peaceful town, so we were unprepared for it.

"They came into the castle last. King Ashura told me and my brother to run. We got separated at one point…the details are fuzzy. But they got to him before me. I managed to escape. I kept running until I found a town. Somehow MAGI knew it was me who had escaped. They released information about me, thinking that since I was the only one to escape, I must be the Chosen. They wanted people to find me and bring me to them. People started calling me 'the Cursed Survivor' then. Not a very original name, but a hurtful one nonetheless."

"So they think you're this 'Chosen'?" Kurogane raised his eyebrows.

"I suppose they do. But I'm afraid they're mistaken; I was simply lucky. The King's powers were far greater than mine, and my brother just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time…Though I suppose it's a strange coincidence that it did happen to be on our birthday, huh? Bad luck, I guess."

Kurogane felt his chest tighten. Fai still tried to maintain his usual small smile although Kurogane could see he was shaking slightly. _What __a __heavy __burden __to __carry,_ Kurogane thought, _all __by __himself. _Kurogane began to hate himself. While Fai had been suffering alone all these years he'd simply been a spoiled prince who pitied himself…and yet Fai always smiled.

Gently, Kurogane wrapped his arms around Fai. It was the only thing he could think of to do. As Fai shook in his arms, he seemed so much more fragile than Kurogane first thought.

He spoke slowly. "I want to help you ease your pain. You don't need to suffer alone anymore. You're not alone."

It was only after Kurogane said this that Fai flung his arms around Kurogane as well and dug his fingers into the back of his shirt, burying his face into his shoulder. He did not weep or speak, but simply held onto Kurogane as if letting him go would cause him to break down.

"Thank you…" Fai mumbled.

* * *

><p>After their moment in the hallway, Kurogane and Fai had returned to the party in the closet, Fai acting happier than he had before. Kurogane thought he was genuinely trying to enjoy the party now, despite the painful memories his birthday surfaced.<p>

Kurogane asked Subaru if it was a good idea to have this many guards abandoning their duties for something like this, but Subaru assured him that other guards had taken their posts so no place was left vacant.

By the time the sun had started to set, the party ended, and the guards dispersed. Kurogane headed back to his room for the night, and sure enough, not long after, Fai was waiting under his window as per usual. He grabbed a blanket from his closet before opening the window and sticking his head out. Immediately he was hit with a sharp gust of frigid air. "You sure its not too cold out there for you?" he asked the blonde.

Fai grinned up at him. "No. I have this blanket, after all. Its very cozy."

Staring at him for a few seconds, Kurogane said with a smirk, "You know, I think I'm starting to be able to tell when your smiles are fake and when they're not. You know, if you're really cold, you should just say so, fool." He tossed the second blanket out to Fai. He stared at it, stunned for a few moments.

"You leave me speechless everyday," Fai mumbled.

"I'm just that good," Kurogane said.

Before Fai could reply, someone burst through the doors in Kurogane's room. It was a guard Kurogane didn't recognize. The brown-haired guard looked so frazzled that he didn't seem to find it odd that Kurogane was looking out his window and talking to what seemed to be nobody.

"His Majesty…!" the guard panted, looking as if he had run here. "His Majesty has been attacked!"

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

Stormclouds appeared in the distance.

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><p><strong>Whoa, cliffhanger! Alot of new stuff, huh? I really wanted to get this up after it being so long since my last update, so pardon any mistakes or parts that seemed rushed. Anyway, to be honest that whole thing with MAGI was more of a "OMG I should do this it would work out and I can do this and maybe that with it" and blah blah blah spontaneous kind of thing. (If that last sentence made sense...). I had the first half of the chapter written out before I even thought of it. So yeah. I apologize again for my super lateness. Please stick with me 'til the end! And please review! :D<strong>


	9. The 69th Day&Night

**Finally! This chapter is up! Honestly, it would have been up sooner if it weren't for a few things. 1) NaNoWriMo (which I have given up on because I was falling behind on anime and this) and 2) Inspiration. All of a sudden last week I had an amazing idea for this story and I had a hard time fixing the timeline of events because I'd already written the next chapter after this one. Turns out this one didn't change much except for how it ended, but I'm glad I changed it.**

**Anyway, sorry for the wait! Please enjoy the 69th Day/Night! ;D**

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><p>For the past four days Kurogane had been nothing but busy. With the attack on the King, the people of Nihon had become afraid for their safety and afraid of losing their leader. Luckily for them, the King was still alive.<p>

After the brown-haired guard retrieved Kurogane they had been informed that the King was found in his room, his left shoulder covered in blood and his window shattered. The guard led Kurogane to the King's Quarters, where doctors were treating his foster father. People were asking question after question and the room seemed to be filled with a buzzing noise. The King had put up his hand and simply waited for everyone to be quiet before speaking.

"There, now that you're all quiet, I can speak." The King's tone was light and gentle, not serious but not humorous either. "A man broke into my window, claiming he was from MAGI. Now, I don't want you blaming my guards, they are all very well trained. Just warn everyone in the castle about who we're dealing with."

And the King said no more. Some of the doctors persisted with questioning, but the King simply shook his head and said, "That's really all I can tell you. No more questions please, and pay more attention to my arm, if you could. It's beginning to sting."

Kurogane closed his eyes as he lay on his bed. After days of nonstop chaos, he finally had time to himself. He was glad the King was okay now, but what did this mean for the kingdom? The attack had put the kingdom into a frenzy of panic and Kurogane did not doubt another attack would come. Mostly, now that he was assured the King was all right, he began to worry about Fai. Knowing the blonde guard, he would undoubtedly blame himself for everything and be a wreck. He wanted to talk to him, to say words of comfort, but saying such things was not in his nature, and he couldn't think of anything to say. He just wanted the magician to know that he shouldn't blame himself. Kurogane sat up, wanting to open the window and see if he was there to talk to him, but right at that moment there was a knock on the door.

For a moment Kurogane considered not opening it and leaving whoever was behind it standing there, but made himself push away the idea and got up to open the door. Before him was Doumeki, looking as plain-faced as ever. Doumeki was not much older than Kurogane, yet he looked younger. His eyes were the same, too—unreadable and mysterious. However, today he looked tired as well. _Even __if __I__'__m __busy, __the __guards __are __probably __just __as __busy__…_ Kurogane thought.

"The King wants to see you," Doumeki said in a monotone voice.

Kurogane was somewhat surprised. He'd been to visit the King before, but the King had never requested him like this, at least not in the past few days. What could he want to talk to him about?

He followed Doumeki quietly, glad that he didn't have to force small talk. He was tired both physically and mentally, and was glad that after this he would finally have time to himself. Maybe.

Once they reached the King's Quarters, Doumeki opened the door without a word. As soon as Kurogane entered, Doumeki closed the door behind him. The room was clean, and as usual, extremely large—the window that the attacker had broken through had already been replaced with what looked like a thicker glass. The walls were white, and the floor was made out of a nice, light colored wood that Kurogane didn't know the name of. The King's bed was across from him, on the other side of the room, and the King, sitting upright on it, smiled pleasantly at him. "Hello, Kurogane."

"Hello," Kurogane replied, unsure of what to do.

"Could you come over here, please?" the King said, beckoning him over. As Kurogane moved closer, he noticed some of the King's features looked different than they usually did. His bright blue eyes had dimmed slightly, his long brown hair seemed to have paled, and although his face was young, it didn't seem to carry the same youthful glow it once did. There was a certain aged look to it that made him look somewhat omnipotent. He also noticed that the King's left arm and shoulder were still covered in bandages.

"Its been 10 years since I adopted you, hasn't it?" the King said as Kurogane reached the bed.

"It has," Kurogane replied, thrusting his hands in his pockets.

"The Queen really loved you, you know. And so do I."

Kurogane eyed the King skeptically. "Did you call me out here just to tell me that?"

The King chuckled a little. "No." He was smiling, but his eyes were sad. "I want to talk to you about your future as King."

The last time Kurogane talked about his future kingship was with Yuko all those days ago. Then it had seemed so far away, but now…there was something foreboding in the King's words.

Kurogane remained quiet, waiting for the King to speak again.

"Whether or not I raised you to meet the expectations of a King, I only hope I raised you well enough as a son." He looked down at his hands as he said this. "If I've learned anything from my years of being a King, its that people don't respect you for giving into their demands—people respect you for taking your own decisions in stride, even if they are wrong ones."

"I don't understand what you..." A sudden realization clicked in Kurogane's mind. "Wait, don't tell me you think you're—"

"I don't think—I know," the King said gently. "I realize only now how many things I regret, how I wish I could've been there for you more. An important part of being a King is having something worth fighting for, no matter what anyone else thinks. I have strayed from this, lost sight of my priorities. But because I realize this now, I want to try to help you, to steer you on the right path."

Instead of making smart remarks, Kurogane simply nodded and waited again for the King to proceed.

"I have no doubt in my mind that you will be a good king. But there is a more to a good life than being a respectable king. I loved the Queen very much. Whether or not she was your real mother, she cared for you very dearly. She made life very enjoyable." He paused for a few moments. "I only regret not having looked for her. I still don't know why I didn't. Why didn't I go myself instead of sending search parties? My priorities were clouded."

The King did not speak for some time. Kurogane did not press, but simply waited for him to speak again.

With a sigh, he continued, this time looking at Kurogane instead of his hands. "If you obtain success, but have no one to share it with, the success feels less. In fact, sometimes the people you surround yourself with affect your success. Kurogane," he turned to look at him. "Find yourself someone worth more than this entire kingdom."

Kurogane was immediately reminded of his conversation with Yuko. Hadn't she said the same thing? That he'd be a good king, but his 'Queen' was what mattered more?

"I…understand. But—"

The King held up his hand. "Don't say anything to anyone. I'm not afraid. I don't want you to be sad because of me. Keep your head held high. I'll be fine, don't worry."

Kurogane felt his throat tighten, despite himself. The King was still smiling.

"Oh, don't make that face," the King chided gently. "This won't be the last time you see me, I promise. Now, be off, I heard a young lady was coming to see you today."

Seeing he had no other choice, Kurogane turned around reluctantly and threw open the door. He took one step out, and as soon as he did, he bumped into something, or rather, someone—

"Kurogane-kun, I'm sorry—I wasn't eavesdropping, I promise, I—hey, are you okay?"

Tomoyo looked at him inquiringly, obviously concerned. Stunned for a few seconds, Kurogane made no reply but wiped his sleeve across his wet cheeks.

"I'm sorry, did I come at a bad time?" Tomoyo asked warily. "I-I just wanted to make sure you were all right after I heard about the MAGI incident—"

"I'm fine," Kurogane said firmly.

Tomoyo still looked deeply concerned. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Kurogane said, "Can we talk? I just need to talk to you about something."

"Okay, sure," Tomoyo agreed. "Er, do you just want to stay here?"

Kurogane shook his head. "Let's talk as we walk." He said as he began to walk in the direction of his room.

"So, what do you want to talk about, Kurogane-kun?"

"Isn't there…" he started, unsure on how to phrase it. "Isn't there anyone dearer than me to you?"

Tomoyo pondered this for a moment, then spoke. "That's a really random question, you strange boy. But yes, there is. There's a princess I know in the Kingdom of Clow that I've known since I was a child. Her name is Sakura. She's absolutely adorable! I love making dresses for her," she gushed. "Right now her brother, Touya-kun, is the King." Her expression turned slightly melancholy. "It's depressing how royalty only gain power when they lose someone they love, huh?"

"Yeah," Kurogane said quickly, wishing not to discuss the subject. Instead he changed it to a different one. "I wonder, do you know what would happen if two princesses were to…get married?"

He expected Tomoyo to be at least a little shocked by him saying this, but she remained unfazed. "Hm, I've never thought about it. It's never been done before, but I don't see anything wrong with it. What, is Kurogane-kun trying to play match-maker now?" she teased, smirking.

Kurogane forced a smile. "No. I was just thinking that if you'd rather be with her than me, I wouldn't hold you back or force you to be with me."

"Sounds likes you've got your eye on someone else, yourself." Tomoyo smiled slyly at Kurogane. He didn't know how to respond.

"I haven't known you for too long, Kurogane-kun," she said. "But I'm not giving up yet. Let's see how this game plays out, shall we?"

Although his mind was a mass of confusion and weariness, he gace her a small grin. "I suppose we shall."

Tomoyo returned the smile. "Oh yeah, I got something for you." She reached into the sleeve of her kimono and produced a single, vibrant rose. "When I can't be here, you can look at this rose and think of me. Uh, I know that sounds cheesy, and I didn't really know what to get you, so…"

"Beautiful," said Kurogane.

"Well then, it's getting late. I'll see you soon, Kurogane-kun!" Kurogane watched Tomoyo leave and then opened the door to his room. He wanted nothing more than to just lie down and collapse on the floor right there, to rest and be apart from the world. But there was one last thing he needed to do.

Prying open his window, he peered outside. Sure enough, Fai was out there. Instead of the blanket being draped over his shoulders, it looked as if it were covering something next to him.

"How'd you get away?" Kurogane asked. "I thought they were cracking down harder on the guards."

Hello, Kuro-tan," Fai greeted. "Well, I made a promise, did I not? And luckily, for tonight at least, I have the night off."

"…It's not your fault, you know," Kurogane said.

"Aren't I the one who's supposed to be making sure you're okay?" Fai inquired.

"Things are rough for pretty much everyone right now," Kurogane replied.

Fai turned to look at Kurogane. "I know this isn't the right time or place, but there's something I want to give you, to make things a little brighter." He lifted up the blanket to reveal what was underneath.

Kurogane was shocked, at first. There was not one, or two, or three, but a little over five-dozen roses stuffed into a bouquet. Fai held it out to him. "Sixty-nine roses," he said, "for the sixty-nine days that have passed so far."

"Always a fool," Kurogane mumbled, although he couldn't help feeling amused. He took the bouquet from him. "Thank you."

"I thought it was kind of corny," Fai admitted, looking embarrassed.

"Extremely corny," Kurogane agreed. "But it's the thought that counts. And even though everything's been a blur lately, I can still see you so clearly."

Fai looked away, blushing but pleased as he wrapped himself in the blanket. "You know," he said suddenly, "how before I said that I met the witch once? Whem I first came here, I was lost and she said she'd grant me any wish. I told her I simply wanted a safe place to stay, and she brought me here. I didn't question her, because I thought she would be right, but its not very safe now, is it?"

"Its still not your fault," Kurogane insisted. "It's the witch's. She seems like she's up to something." Kurogane knew how easy it would be to blame Fai for everything, to say how he never should have come here, that the King's injury and Kurogane's stress was his fault. Yet even though logically he knew all of that, he felt no hate or rage towards Fai. He was glad Fai came to the castle, and would not have wanted anything different. His feelings were oddly calm, more calm and loving than they should have been.

Suddenly, he was reminded of the witch's words: "There is no such thing as coincidence. There is only hitsuzen." Even if he wanted things to change, would they? Was all this really fated to happen?

"Hey, what's your opinion on fate?" Kurogane asked suddenly. "The witch is always blabbering about fate."

Fai blinked. "Fate? Well, it's like the same thing as fairy tales, I suppose. They're fun to use in stories, but it doesn't truly exist."

Kurogane would've liked to agree, would've given anything to agree. But there were too many strange coincidences lately for any of the events that had happened in the past month or so to be merely accidental. Despite everything he believed in, Yuko's words held a power over him that convinced him to believe.

Kurogane climbed out of the window, landing next to Fai. "I don't want to believe in fate either. But I believe that I was very lucky to have met you."

"I don't see how you can say that with a straight face," Fai said. "You were lucky to meet me? After all the trouble I've caused?"

"You're still saying that crap?"

Fai looked down sadly, his lonely smiled still on his face. "I don't see why you don't hate me. After all, I—"

Kurogane leaned over to him and kissed him. Fai looked surprised. Kurogane grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together and holding it tightly. Pulling back, he stared at him firmly. "W-wh-wha—" Fai stuttered.

"There, that shut you up."

Fai looked at him, bewildered for a moment, then chuckled. "You're as strange as ever."

"Don't have regrets, especially not now. I'm not too into pointing fingers. If you really want to help, stay here and do your job. Stay here with me. It'll make things easier for all of us."

Fai grinned at him. "Alright. If you say so, Kuro-pon."

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

The inevitable was merely coincidence.

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><p><strong>I feel like as I write this more and more, I make it more complicated than I originally intended because I keep getting more and more ideas. Remember in the beginning when the chapters were half the size of this? xD Anyway, I hope the ending part with Kurogane and Fai didn't seem too scattered. I feel like they jumped topics quite a bit. The next chapter that I'm going to write will introduce a new character ( I will give you all of the awards if you are able to guess who. x3 ) I promise the next chapter will be up before Christmas. If I'm not lazy, it could be up by next week!<strong>

**Please review, my wonderful readers!**


	10. The 74th Day&Night

**Awesome, new chapter is up! And it didn't take me a month! xD Now you guys will find out who the mystery character is! Also, one thing I would like to address before you read: _KuroFye-fangirl_ left me the _longest_ review I've ever gotten with a bunch of questions, buuuut I can't reply to you because you don't have an account! Since you asked so many I'll just answer them here because some of you may have had similar questions, and since you were so kind to write out such a long review I should take the time to answer them here:**

**1) The setting is in an AU, or Alternate Universe, that I haven't really specified. To be honest, the only thing I've thought out for the setting is the individual Kingdoms (Nihon, Tsuki, Clow, Seresu, etc.). So just leave it up to your imagination. As for when, just assume present day I suppose. I didn't really have a certain time period (or rather, one of our time periods since it's an AU) in mind. 2) This made me laugh. xD Kurogane didn't keep an umbrella in his room; he knew it was raining so he went and got an umbrella from somewhere else in the castle and gave it to Fai. 3)Yes, he was talking about Fai's true smile. In my mind he can't stand Fai's fake smiles. 4) OMG I had no idea that a swallowtail was a bird. xD I used it as the swallowtail butterfly in the reference. But thank you for telling me! Odd coincidence. 5) The finishing lines are things I came up with. And Cinema Paradiso isn't a book, it's an Italian movie. However, this fairytale wasn't even part of the movie; it was just a tale one character told the other. 6) When I say 'bad' Queen and 'good' Queen, I don't mean one's pure and the other's evil. You're right that Tomoyo and Fai are both good people. It just means how each one will affect his position as King, and like you said, how they will be accepted. 7) Yes! I'm so happy they're continuing Legal Drug, I was so sad when it suddenly stopped. I've already read the first chapter, can't wait for morrrre. :3**

**And now, if you've read all that, I give you another chapter filled with more words! I hope you enjoy my words. ;D**

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><p>The castle had had a chance to calm down in the past few days, and although MAGI was still on everyone's minds, life returned to somewhat what it used to be. The only difference was that the guards were working more and the King had not left the King's Quarters. Although his wound was getting better, the doctors still fretted over him and told him he needed as much rest as possible. Kurogane did some of the paperwork or other duties for the King in his office, and other times Shira or one of the other people in the castle would bring it to him. Briefly he wondered why he was never asked to bring the King work. The King, although still recovering, had not dumped all his work on Kurogane. He knew other people brought him work frequently. So why didn't they let him? He'd wanted to see him again, but at the same time wasn't sure if he should. Normally he would have burst into the King's Quarters without a second thought, but an annoying voice in the back of his mind kept telling him it would be a better idea not to, that maybe the King didn't want him to.<p>

Fai had been sitting under his window like usual, fulfilling his promise. However, Kurogane was afraid of two things now—first of all, that Fai would finally get caught, or that he might not show up because he had more work to do. He had gotten so used to Fai always being there whenever he needed him, he had forgotten what it was like seventy days ago when he hadn't even acknowledged the guard. _I've heard some people can fall in love in seven days…_ he thought. What would one hundred days be, then? A test to prove that love?

Secondly, he was afraid that one day Fai would just leave. Nothing was holding him back. When was anything ever holding him back from leaving? He feared that the incident with MAGI was still dwelling in Fai's mind, and even though he'd told Kurogane that everything was fine, he had a hard time believing him. Maybe he didn't want to be here anymore now that he knew MAGI was after him, or maybe he was getting tired of Kurogane, or maybe after all these days he realized he didn't love him anymore—

_Or __maybe __I__'__m __just __over-thinking._ He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. _It__'__s __so __unlike __me. __I __guess __it__'__s __because __of __all __the __recent __stress. __But __everything__'__s __fine __now__…__isn__'__t __it?_

He'd spoken to Fai only occasionally lately, mostly because both of them had more work to do. But when they did, the blonde was still using those fake smiles he did all those nights ago. Just when Kurogane though he'd broken that habit, he'd started doing it again. _The __fool__…_ Kurogane thought. _When __will __he __learn __he__'__s __not __as __much __a __burden __to __me __as __he __thinks __he __is?_

Just then, as he was hunched over a new piece of paper that looked like a townsperson's complaint, he heard a knock on the door. Before he could say enter, the person on the other side said, "Kurogane, it's me, Shira! Tomoyo's here to see you. Meet her in the Conference Room."

_The __Conference __Room?_ Kurogane wondered. _Why __there, __of __all __places? _He stood up, and when he opened the door Shira was nowhere in sight. _She __probably __left __to __whatever __else __she __had __to __do._

Kurogane hadn't been in the Conference Room too often. Mostly, it was used for meetings with representatives from other countries. The large room had nearly twenty seats placed around a long oval table, although all the chairs were hardly used.

Tomoyo wasn't seated in front of any of them. Instead, she stood in front of the chair at the end of the oval nearest the door. She smiled as he came in. This time, she was wearing a blue kimono with a pattern of snowflakes on it.

"Hello, Kurogane-kun," she said politely.

He inclined his head. "Tomoyo-chan."

"I'm sorry if this is an inconvenient time. I just wanted to talk to you about...about something important."

Kurogane blinked. This wasn't normal Tomoyo-chan behavior. Usually she was bubbly and cheerful. Now she was being formal and serious, and Kurogane had a feeling nothing good was going to come from this.

"What is it, then?" he asked, somewhat anxious.

"I—I think we should get married."

"Married?" he repeated, dumbstruck.

Tomoyo nodded, but didn't look at him. "I really do like you, Kurogane-kun. You're charming in your own way. I think we'd make a good couple." She paused before going on. "And you know, most royal marriages are done for political reasons, and I don't want you to end up with someone you don't like…"

This was definitely not like the Tomoyo he knew. The Tomoyo he knew was strong and confident and wouldn't agree to something so important for petty reasons. Not to mention she wouldn't bring up this topic after he'd told her very recently that he'd be okay with her being with other people. "Your family sent you here for political reasons, didn't they." It was more of a statement than a question.

"W-well, yes," she stammered. "But don't get the wrong idea. I wouldn't have agreed unless I wanted to as well! I-I really do like you, Kurogane-kun…so I would be honored if you took me as your bride."

Kurogane closed his eyes, mulling it over. It was a huge decision, one he couldn't answer too quickly without thinking first. He didn't know how definite of answer he could give her. Tomoyo…gentle, sweet Tomoyo. Whenever he was with her, his pain and worries would melt away...maybe it wouldn't be so bad...maybe he'd like it, even...maybe it'd be better if...

_But what about Fai?_ A voice in his head reminded him. Yes indeed, what about Fai? He realized only now that Tomoyo knew nothing about Fai. What would she do if she ever found out about their promise?

He opened his eyes, staring at the small girl in front of him. She looked younger than she actually was. Despite her size, Kurogane had never seen her as fragile or delicate. Fai was more of the fragile, delicate type. Like a flower. Tomoyo was confident and strong, branching out to people like a tree. _When exactly was it that I became close to these people?_ he thought. They'd both become important to him, and now he had to choose between them. _How did I let this happen?_ "I need time to think," he said, finally. "I just need time, if that's okay."

* * *

><p>Fai was conflicted—he didn't know what was more important; his guard duties or his promise. If he abandoned his guard duties, there would be one less person to protect Kurogane. If he abandoned his promise, their routine and most likely their relationship would be lost. It was the witch who had made both of those possible for him in the first place, and to deny the witch was like volunteering to be first in line at the gallows.<p>

Mostly, he was concerned about Kurogane. They hadn't talked much since the incident, and Fai didn't blame him for not wanting to—it was all Fai's fault. The King was hurt because of him. The person who had so kindly taken him in..._No,_ Fai thought. _The __King __knew __who __I __was. __Did __he __know __this __would __happen?_

Still, he couldn't help feeling like if he had never come here, everyone would have happier lives right now.

The black dog, who had been absent for so long, padded up to him, and Fai petted its fur. "Oh, welcome back. It's been awhile, hasn't it?" he smiled as it licked his face. "Guess you know how to avoid trouble, huh?"

"Humans react more on emotions and impulse than animals do," came an alluring voice. "Animals are smart—they rely on instinct."

Fai looked up, still petting the dog's coarse fur. "It's been awhile since I've seen you, too, Yuko-san. I assume this is your dog, then?"

Yuko grinned at him. She was wearing a scarlet kimono covered in stars. She was carrying a parasol although it was neither raining nor sunny. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail, and her eyes were as red as they were all those years ago, just like the Prince's. "No, it's just a stray, really."

Fai didn't know if he imagined it or not, but the dog appeared to have a hurt expression on its face. Its tail stopped wagging and it trotted away from Fai, laying down on the grass a few feet away.

"Its rare for you to come to a customer," Fai remarked. "Is there something wrong with my payment?"

"Not at all," Yuko said airily. "It is rare for me to come to customers, yes. But you won't come to me, and I have important information for you."

"Oh? And what information would you need to tell a mere guard such as myself?"

Yuko took a few steps closer to him. "I would just like to inform you of other _options_."

"I don't understand," Fai said warily. If the witch was going to offer him something, he knew a price was needed in return, and he wasn't sure if he was going to be willing to pay it.

"That's because I haven't explained it yet. Don't worry, I require no price for simply listening," she finished, as if reading his thoughts.

Fai nodded. "Alright, then. What is it that's so important you had to come all the way out here to tell me?"

"You remember when you took Kurogane to my place to get his future kingship determined, correct? While he was there, I told him that he had a choice of two different 'Queens.'"

"Ah, yes, I remember him saying something about that."

The witch smiled slyly. "Yes. And I assume you know who those two are?"

"I guess it would be Princess Tomoyo and myself."

"Correct. Kurogane has two options, and although you do not know it, Tomoyo also has two options. Right now, you only have one. The balance is not equal."

Fai had a feeling he knew where this was going. He waited for her to continue.

"That is why since I gave Kurogane a choice of 'Queens,' you may get a choice of 'Kings.'" She put the words Queens and Kings in air quotes. "Of course, you do not know about your second option yet. I didn't tell Kurogane the names of his two 'Queens,' but I have come to you much later than him, so it would only be fair if I told you yours."

Fai wanted to laugh at her. It sounded ridiculous—she'd already picked out who he was going to fall in love with. She talked about the "options" as if they were objects instead of people. As if this was something predictable, preordained, and he didn't have a say about his own feelings, things that concerned him only. If it weren't for one thing, Fai would have sent her away, thinking she was crazy, and would not have listened to her at all. That one thing was this—Fai was aware of the true extent of the witch's power. She had saved his life; he owed it to her to at least hear her out.

"Do you remember a girl named Chi?" Yuko continued.

"Yes," Fai replied, furrowing his brows. "She was a friend of mine in Seresu. You know what that means, don't you?"

"That she must be dead, since everyone was reported to have been killed?" Yuko said, seemingly indifferent. Fai nodded. "What most people don't know is that there are _two_ survivors of Seresu."

Fai's eyes widened. "That's impossible! I was told that—"

"You were a boy who lived at the castle. You're more important than some poor little commoner girl, so naturally you got the most publicity. Not many people know of Chi."

Fai was overcome with shock. It was so sudden, he felt like it would just be easier to deny Yuko and end the conversation right here. For a second he wondered if she was lying, but he knew that although the witch may be cunning and deceptive at times, she was not a liar.

Instead, he said, "You brought her with you, didn't you? It seems like something you'd do. I have questions for her. I want to see her."

Yuko twirled her parasol in her hands and paused before speaking. "Yes, she's here. She started working for me recently. I told her you were here, and she wanted to see you. Are you sure you're ready to see her?"

Fai wasn't sure at all whether he was 'ready' to see her. Back in Seresu, she was one of his only friends besides his brother. She was one of the only people who treated him normally. He thought she'd died with the rest of his home. How could he not want to see her? "Yes," he said, and he couldn't help but notice that his voice sounded somewhat off.

Yuko opened the parasol in her hands, and poof!—all of a sudden Chi was there. She blinked a few times, dazed, but then her eyes landed on Fai. "F-Fai-chan?" she said quietly. Fai couldn't believe how much she'd changed over the years. Her hair had grown much longer, so long that it was down below her waist. She'd grown taller and definitely curvier, and there was certain fragility to her that wasn't present before. Despite this, her eyes were still the same gentle, innocent eyes from his childhood. Slowly, she stepped towards him. "Is that really Fai-chan?"

Fai walked towards her, too, meeting her halfway. "Yes, it's really me…I can't believe…after all this time…"

Chi flung her arms around Fai, catching him off guard. _She__'__s __real__…_ he thought, as he slowly wrapped his arms around her, too. "Chi is so happy!" she cried, burying her head in his chest. "Chi was so worried about Fai, Chi thought Fai might be dead…"

"I thought you were dead, too," Fai said quietly, still overcome with shock. "Where have you been? Why didn't you come look for me?...It must have been lonely."

Fai knew it was lonely for her, for he had been lonely all these years as well. Even when he wanted to get close to people, Fai was always afraid of people calling him 'the Cursed Survivor' again or people hating him because he lived while others had to die. He'd been afraid to get close to anybody. A newfound warmth spread through Fai; it was nice to finally have something familiar returned to him, something from his past that didn't hurt him or the ones he loved.

"You have your options now," Yuko said before Fai could voice his doubts and questions. It was still taking awhile for the whole situation to sink in—even though he was holding Chi, and she was warm and breathing in his arms, he felt like this was a dream he was bound to wake up from soon. His mind kept telling him that this was too good to be true, that logically Chi was supposed to be dead. _But Yuko is honest,_ he reminded himself. _She has nothing to gain from hurting me._ "It is your choice what you will do in the future."

"I'm glad to know Chi is alive," Fai said, letting go of her and turning to face the witch. "But Kurogane is the only one I'll ever love."

Yuko eyed him skeptically. "No matter what he means to you, you can never be sure you mean the same to him. You're waiting all these days for him, correct? And he's doing nothing for you. What happens if he breaks his promises and chooses the Princess of Tsuki over you? With Chi you have a warm and promising future. The Prince is just a shot in the dark."

Chi looked up at Fai with her bright, big eyes. "Fai-chan doesn't have to decide now. Chi wants Fai to be happy and take his time."

"Thank you, Chi," Fai grinned at her, patting her head.

"It's time for you to get back to the shop now, Chi," Yuko said. "I said you could see him, but then you had to go back, remember? Maru and Moro need your help with a certain project."

Chi nodded, saying her last goodbyes to Fai and prancing away, seemingly content.

Fai turned back to Yuko, who had stayed instead of following Chi. "So you've brought me my childhood friend. I'm grateful, really," Fai said. "But what makes you think that that will change me? Is it really that bad if I choose him instead of her?"

"I am merely giving you options," Yuko said. "Just in case you change your mind."

"I see," was all Fai said to that, seeing as arguing further would prove fruitless. Then, after a few moments, he asked, "Is Chi the one they should really be after?"

"To give you that information, I require a price."

"Of course," Fai said pleasantly, trying to hide his annoyance. "And what would the price be?"

"You would have to give up one day of your 100 days of waiting out here."

"I'm afraid I can't do that," Fai replied.

The witch smiled. "Loyalty. That's a good quality to have. Before I leave, I would like to inform you that Kurogane and Tomoyo were supposed to meet today to discuss marriage. I would advise you to consult reality and sort your priorities."

Fai resisted the urge to act surprised. He wouldn't let her have the satisfaction. "You're wrong about him, you know," he said calmly. "Kuro-sama's very misunderstood. He acts tough and indifferent but he's very honest and genuine. I don't think he'd betray me so easily."

"Most people ruin their lives by taking impulsive action," Yuko said. "Like I said before, animals instinct is what keeps them out of trouble. People's emotions bring their downfall."

"I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to make me have doubts. You're testing me."

Yuko stared at him evenly. "I have nothing to gain from interfering and meddling like this. I am simply fulfilling someone's wish."

Yuko left after that, giving Fai somethings to think about. _Every time I talk to Yuko,_ he thought, _I'm always left with more questions than answers._

* * *

><p>Kurogane walked back to his room, his mind swirling with a million thoughts. Even if the MAGI attack was just beginning to move to the back of his mind, he now had a new topic that had risen and wouldn't leave him alone. The decision of whether or not to marry Tomoyo was a more problematic one than he originally thought. He told her he needed time to think about it—he didn't want to make any rash decisions. He wasn't lying; it was an important decision, one that would affect his and the kingdom's futures greatly.<p>

He thought that having Tomoyo as his Queen would be good for the country. The Kingdom of Tsuki was one of the more well respected nations, and it was known for not causing trouble unless absolutely necessary. Tomoyo was the kind of person whom everyone was drawn to and liked, and he had no doubt that the kingdom would accept her easily. He knew he could have a good life and kingship with her.

However, certain thoughts and desires would not allow him to accept it so easily. Despite knowing these facts, his selfish side kept reminding him: what about Fai? No one had ever made him feel as strongly as the blonde guard did. He'd never wanted to protect someone as badly as he wanted to protect Fai. He'd forgotten what it was like without him in his life. Still, as his duty as Prince, he had to think about his kingdom. He figured they would not take very well to having 'the Cursed Survivor' in their homeland. Kurogane didn't care about the fact that Fai was a man, but it had never been done before. He wasn't a blood-related heir to the throne, so taking a petty guard as his Queen that was a male and also the survivor of Seresu would ruin Nihon's stable reputation.

_This must be what that witch was talking about,_ Kurogane thought irritably. She said one would be easily accepted and the other the exact opposite. At the time Kurogane thought the answer was an easy one…_but __now __it__'__s __more __difficult __than __I __could__'__ve __imagined._

Kurogane was in front of his room now, his hand on the knob of his door. He entered. _Or __maybe__…__it __won__'__t __be __too __hard __at __all. __I __just __won__'__t __force __myself __on __Fai. __If __he __doesn__'__t __want __me, __I __won__'__t __make __him. __If __he doesn't __want __me, __I __can __go __to __Tomoyo. _The idea seemed logical in his mind, but whenever he repeated it to himself, it sounded wrong.

"Feeling better?" Kurogane asked through his open window.

"Quite," Fai replied, his face bright. "I was able to see an old friend of mine today."

"Oh?" Kurogane said. He knew he shouldn't feel surprised, but he was. According to Fai, everyone from his hometown was dead, and he'd been in the castle ever since. What friends did he have outside the castle? "Who's this friend of yours?"

"Er, well it's difficult to explain," Fai said. "See, her name's Chi, and she's my friend from—" Fai paused, seeming to consider something for a moment. "From a town I stayed in before coming here. She disappeared for a while, so I'm glad to know she's okay."

"So she's important to you, huh," Kurogane remarked. He didn't know why, but it had never occurred to him before that Fai would have other people in his life important to him besides Kurogane. _Looks __like __I__'__m __the __fool __this __time._

Fai blinked. "Kuro-tan, is something wrong? You look pale. Have you been working too much lately?"

"Just thinking too much," he replied. "Did you hear that…that Tomoyo asked me to marry her today?" He found himself saying it without realizing he did.

"I have now," Fai replied. His tone was hard to read. "What did you say?"

"That I'd think about it."

"What is there to think about?"

Kurogane wasn't sure on how to interpret that question. Fai was faced away from him again, his tone light but indecipherable. "I have to weigh my priorities."

"I see," was all Fai said.

"Listen," Kurogane said. "I know things have been sort of crazy for the both of us recently. But whatever happens in the future, I don't want you to blame yourself. You got that? Whatever happens, I want you to be happy."

"Kuro-rin, when you say things like that, it makes me nervous."

"I just want you to be prepared for anything."

Fai looked hurt for a moment, but quickly concealed it. Kurogane realized the effect of his words a moment too late. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, there was rapid and loud knocking on his door. He rose quickly; there was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Could __it __be __what __I __think __it __is?_

Sorata was there when he opened the door, with Arashi right beside him. He stumbled forward slightly. Both of them looked scared and startled, their eyes wide and their arms shaking. They were panting as if they'd run here, and Kurogane found it unsettling that Arashi, who was usually very calm and collected, looked like she was about to collapse.

"What's going on?" Kurogane demanded.

"I'm so sorry, my Prince," Sorata huffed. "We were all so careful—I don't know how it happened—"

"What happened?" Kurogane repeated, more severely this time.

Sorata appeared like he didn't want to deliver the news—his head was down, his eyes looking anywhere but at Kurogane. Instead, Arashi, who was still next to Sorata and looking very forlorn, cried:

"Il re è morto! The King is dead!"

* * *

><p>That day...that night...<p>

Chaos had ended; chaos had begun.

* * *

><p><strong>I didn't actually finish the Tsubasa anime until recently. The idea for this chapter (excluding the ending) was mostly in response to the episode where Chi appeared, and suddenly I realized there are actually some FaiChii shippers out there. xD I figured that since I have KuroTomo in here, I should probably have FaiChii too just to make you extra angry. To be honest, it's been awhile since I've read Chobits, so I hope I did Chi's personality okay. About the whole Chi coming out of the parasol thing...well, um, I hope you enjoyed some crack for the day ;D haha. Also, the reason I had Arashi say 'the King is dead' in Italian at the end was just because the inspiration I got to write this story was from something Italian, so I just wanted to throw it in there. Also one other thing I wanted to point out was Kurogane's line in the beginning - "I've heard some people can fall in love in seven days." That was a reference to the amazing shounen-ai manga <em>Seven Days<em>, which I recommend you all should read if you haven't already. 8D**

**So, please review! ;D Reviews are what keep me writing this story. To all those who read, regardless of whether or not you review, THANK YOU SO MUCH for following my story this far. I appreciate each and everyone one of you. :D**


	11. The 80th Day&Night

**Happy New Year! As a present, here's a new update! And after I promised I wouldn't take a month for each chapter to get up . . . sorry. The next one might take a while to get up too, simply because of one reason: typically, I have at least one rough draft written ahead of the one published (rough draft = handwritten rough copy). Right now, I have none...or at least a beginning of one. I know what I wanna do, but how I did the next chapter depended on how this one ended, which I hadn't decided until recently. Anyway, this one's a little bit shorter, I think. Kinda fluffy. Well, besides the depressing stuff, of course. Uh, just ignore me and read. xD I hope you enjoy it~**

* * *

><p>The day of the funeral was the day the first snow began to fall on Nihon. It would be poetic to say something like the sky was crying frozen tears for the late king, but Kurogane thought that it was just another sign that time would continue to move and the seasons would still change even though he just wanted everything to stop.<p>

The fact that the King was dead hadn't completely sunk in Kurogane's mind until he'd seen the body. Even though he'd known before it happened, and even when Arashi and Sorata told him, the full force still hadn't hit him. But here, standing in this field full of weeping people, staring at the body of his father in his open casket, everything had hit him at once—all of the loss and responsibility.

The entire town seemed to be at the funeral. Hundreds of people surrounded the casket. Some were crying, others muttering things like, "What a shame, he was so young." They stood in an open field just outside of town called the Graveyard of the Greats, where all the Kings and Queens were buried. Thousands of bodies were buried underneath their feet, but there were no grave markers, as per tradition. Soon his father would be one of those nameless, lifeless bodies under his feet.

Kurogane stayed towards the back of the crowd, mainly to stay away from the people who kept coming up to him and saying, "I'm sorry for your loss." He didn't want their pity. He hardly paid attention to the processions that were going on. His mind was too full and he was too tired.

The time had finally come—he was king. He knew he didn't have to get a Queen right away, especially because he was so young. Yet he couldn't help but wonder how Yuko's predictions would come into play.

_Who cares?_ he thought. He didn't want to think or feel at the moment. There wasn't many people he felt like talking to.

"Kurogane-kun?" a small voice said his name. He had hardly noticed Tomoyo move next to him. She wore a pure black kimono and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

"If you're here to offer your sympathies, I don't want 'em." Kurogane said tiredly.

"No, nothing like that," Tomoyo said simply. "When Sakura and Touya's father died, they were the same. At first I thought it was odd that everyone was lachrymose besides them. Then I realized they were the ones who truly suffered the most."

"...I knew," Kurogane found himself saying. "I knew MAGI was coming after him. He knew it, too."

"It's not good to feel guilty," said Tomoyo. "The King knew what he was heading into. I don't know what he was thinking, but I'm sure he wouldn't want you to think it was your fault."

"I had knowledge, and I didn't do anything about it. I knew they were coming for him again. I let him die."

"Did he seem afraid?"

Kurogane blinked. "What? Well, no. He was really composed." He paused. "Now that I think about it, it was kind of strange."

"If he was scared, he would've asked you to do something, wouldn't he?"

"It's still my fault," Kurogane insisted.

Tomoyo's hand found Kurogane's. She intertwined their fingers together, squeezing them tight. "It's in the past."

"I could've changed it."

"Maybe it happened for a reason."

Despite his weariness, he felt like he could've laughed. The witch's idea of _hitsuzen_ floated up into his mind, and he began to wonder. Was all this really supposed to happen? Did he not do anything because that's what fate had planned? It was absolutely laughable and ridiculous.

"Listen, Kurogane-kun. Take your time. I'm not asking you to feel alright about any of this. I know it hurts. It's supposed to. But promise me that you won't let it haunt you."

Kurogane closed his eyes. "Fine. I promise."

_Somehow or another,_ he thought, _Tomoyo always knows what to say._

After the funeral ended, people slowly dispersed, while some stayed to watch the burial. Tomoyo bid Kurogane a quiet farewell and kissed him on the cheek as one of her attendants beckoned to her to leave. Kurogane was left to watch the casket be placed into the ground alone.

After everyone left, Kurogane was escorted back to the castle with Kamui and Subaru flanked at his sides. Kurogane hardly paid attention to where he was going; he simply followed the shuffling of their feet, staring at the ground but not really seeing anything.

When they reached the front gates, they took the place of the guard that was standing there before. It wasn't until after they went inside that Kurogane realized who it was.

"How was it?" Fai asked him gently.

"Depressing. The way funerals usually are. Where's the kid? I didn't see him out there with you."

"Kazahaya has been assigned to the investigative squad," Fai replied. "He's in the King's Quarters.

"I see."

"I..." Fai started. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you."

Kurogane shrugged. "I didn't feel like talking much anyway. Besides, Tomoyo-chan was there."

For once, Fai didn't tense up at the sound of her name. When they reached Kurogane's room, Kurogane was about to thank Fai for escorting him when the blonde said, "I need to talk to you."

Kurogane, who stopped halfway into the entrance of his room, said, "Alright, come in."

Fai looked shocked for a moment, and it took Kurogane a few seconds to realize why. "Don't be stupid, are you really concerned about positions now? No one will find out. Okay?" Without another word, Fai followed, looking slightly awkward as he did so.

Kurogane leaned against his door and crossed his arms. Fai stood a few feet away, looking awestruck at the luxuriousness of the room.

"Talk," Kurogane said. He wasn't in the mood for Fai to beat around the bush or take his time.

"Oh, yes," Fai said. With a soft smile, he turned to Kurogane. "I'm going to resign."

Kurogane closed his eyes. He felt something slowly bubble up inside him...was it anger...? "You're going to resign...from your job as a guard?"

"Yes," Fai said. "I've thought it over. I think it would be best—"

"Who gave you permission?" Kurogane demanded, opening his eyes and narrowing them at Fai.

"What do you mean?"

"Who gave you permission to do that? I don't remember you ever asking me."

"I didn't know I had to ask you."

"I'm the King now. I don't recall hearing anything about this."

Fai's expression turned serious, his soft smile fading. "MAGI's after me, I'm sure you realize that. The King is dead because of me. I—"

"I'm the King. I'm not dead."

"The _late_ King is dead, and you're the King now because of me. If I stay they could go after you next. I don't want you getting hurt."

"The castle needs guards now more than ever," Kurogane said slowly. He was having trouble controlling his temper.

"MAGI is after me," Fai said calmly. "If I stay here, others will be in danger. I can't let that hap—"

Suddenly, Fai was slammed against the wall, Kurogane gripping the collar of the blonde's shirt tightly. Fai's eyes grew wide as Kurogane glared into them. "Stop trying to play the hero!"

Fai didn't respond. Both of their faces were merely centimeters away from each other. Fai had never seen Kurogane so angry before.

"Do you really think you're the only one who's important? You think that just because you'll leave, everything will be better. You're so arrogant it makes me sick." Kurogane knew as he was saying it that he didn't really mean what he said. He was simply frustrated with Fai for wanting to leave him, furious with MAGI, upset with his father, mad at himself…he needed to explode.

Slowly, he released the grip he had on Fai's shirt. _I haven't lost my temper since the Nihon Ball…_ he thought. _But even then it wasn't this bad. What's with me?_

A look of comprehension dawned on Fai's face. "I'm sorry, Kuro-sama. I was so concerned about protecting you, I didn't realize how much pain you were really in…" He took a few steps forward and slowly wrapped his arms around Kurogane. "You just lost your father. I should have been more gentle."

"Fool," was all Kurogane managed to say.

"But what am I supposed to do, huh?" Fai asked lightly, placing his chin on Kurogane's chest and looking up at him with gentle, blue eyes. "Either way I feel like I'm going to end up hurting you."

"Everyone close to me has left, and each time I could've prevented it. My father, my mother...both sets of them. That's why this time, I…" _I sound pathetic, don't I?_ Kurogane thought. _Whining about losing people when Fai's lost his entire hometown. He must think I'm pathetic. Yet he's still standing here._

"I know how it feels to have your family taken from you," Fai said gently. "You always wonder what you could've done. I don't want you to be alone like I was. But even if I leave, you'll still have Tomoyo."

"That's not the point!" Kurogane released the blonde. "Whether Tomoyo is here or not is irrelevant to what we're talking about. I just told you, I don't want anyone important to me leaving me again when I have the power to stop it."

"What do you want me to do?" Fai said, his voice slightly louder but still gentle. "I don't want to hurt you any more than you already are. But it seems like whatever I choose, you will be."

"To hell with MAGI," Kurogane spat. "If they come after me, I'll give them a fight. We need guards. As your King, I _order_ you to stay here."

"Alright. I'll stay as long as you want me here, your Majesty," Fai agreed, bowing.

"I thought I told you not to call me that," Kurogane retorted.

"Well, his Highness just kept insisting that he was the King now, I thought that's what your Majesty wanted me to call you," Fai teased with a small grin.

"Jeez, you're a real pain, you know that?"

Fai reached up and grabbed Kurogane's cheeks. "Hey, what are you—" He started. Fai pulled on them, stretching them upward. "Smile!" the blonde said.

Kurogane's eyebrow twitched. "Uht ah you duhing, i'iot?"

"Kuro-pon's been angsty all day," Fai replied. "I don't know what to do to make you happy again. But when you said you wanted me to stay, it made me really happy, even though I know it shouldn't have. So I need to make Kuro-rin happy in return." He released his cheeks.

"You're absolutely ridiculous. Get back to work."

"And his Majesty shoo's me away after begging me to stay~ How ironic."

"Fine, then. Stay. Have a day off. Do whatever you please."

"Whatever his Majesty wishes."

"You're so weird, fool."

Fai leaned upward and kissed Kurogane. In the moment, all thoughts vanished from Kurogane's mind—thoughts of the King, of his new kingship, of Tomoyo, of his future…

"As long as you want me here, I'll stay," the guard said after breaking away. "I still have a promise to fulfill."

* * *

><p>That day...that night...<p>

The first snow had come to pass.

* * *

><p><strong>I played around with this chapter a lot. I think I'm satisfied with the outcome. :3 It turned out slightly fluffier than I first planned it to be...but I also planned some alternatives that didn't end up working or were OOC or just not right for this fic. Anyway, the story will progress more in the next chapter. :D Please review!~ I love all your reviews!<strong>


	12. The 84th Day&Night

**I'M SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG. ;_; I've been thinking a lot about the plot and I've also been extremely lazy at the same time. Now that this is up I will try to work on getting the next one up as soon as possible! I've got most of the rough draft written for the next one, but I still have to think a lot about some stuff because - DUN DUN DUNNN! - we're getting close to the end! But not too close - I'm estimating at least 3 more chapters. So please hang in with me until the end! I hope you enjoy the new chapter!~**

* * *

><p>The castle seemed to have a different air to it after the passing of the King. Kurogane found that the King's subordinates, although they were trying to help him adjust, were having a hard time transitioning as well. The late King was well respected, and Kurogane knew that he would have a lot to live up to.<p>

Both Fai and Kurogane were working a lot more than they had been in the past few months. The guards were still working overtime to make sure no intruder could enter the castle again. Kurogane had many more duties to perform as a King than he did as a Prince, and on top of that, whenever he had free time he would put his efforts into finding out more about MAGI. Still, whenever Kurogane returned to his room to retire for the night, he was somewhat surprised that Fai was still upholding his promise. Kurogane wondered how he did it.

Kurogane didn't mind the extra work. What he didn't particularly enjoy, however, was the endlessly high expectations and lack of privacy.

"My Prince—I mean, Your Majesty," Watanuki said as he entered Kurogane's room. Kurogane was so used to people coming and going whenever they pleased that he wasn't too surprised when the young guard suddenly appeared. "There's a, um, strange girl here to see you."

"Alright," Kurogane said, getting up from his desk and following Watanuki out. Normally his visitors were representatives or political figures from other kingdoms, so it was odd that a young girl was coming to visit him. He thought it would be a nice change of pace, if anything.

"Sir," Watanuki spoke up as they were walking, "are you sure you don't want to move to the King's Quarters? There's more room—and if it reminds you of your father too much—"

"That's not necessary," Kurogane replied hastily. "MAGI knows how to break into there." That was only one of the reasons Kurogane had not moved into the King's Quarters yet. Firstly, he thought he really didn't need anymore room, for all the rooms in the castle were rather large, and besides, he was used to his room. It was one thing that had stayed the same through all these recent changes. He was slightly embarrassed to say that another one of the reasons was because of Fai and their promise—he felt like each night had to be at the same place, otherwise it was invalid. It was silly, he knew, but he felt like it would be odd otherwise.

"Anyway, you said there's a strange girl here to see me? How strange?"

"She talks in third person, for one thing. She asked to see one of the guards, which is uncommon, saying she'd been looking for him all day. When we said she couldn't see him, she demanded to see you. She asked for you by name. Do you know her?"

"Doesn't sound like anyone I know," Kurogane admitted.

Watanuki shrugged. "She hardly seems like anyone dangerous," he said with a chuckle. "Maybe she's a fan of yours."

"A fan that would ask for one of the castle guards instead of me?" he retorted.

"Well—good point, your Majesty. Anyway, here we are." They stood outside the Conference Room. "We decided to keep her here. Oh, I forgot to mention—she brought a dog with her. It was extremely well trained, and calmer than her, really, so we let her keep it with her."

"Alright. Thank you." Kurogane opened the door and entered as Watanuki walked away.

Standing where Tomoyo had been last time he was in this room was a petite blonde girl. Her features were childish, although she was obviously a teenager, at least. She wore a frilly white dress and had odd cat-ear-like mechanical _things _on her head. Her eyes were gentle and friendly, so Kurogane thought that the mechanical things couldn't be anything dangerous or a weapon. The black dog next to her stared at him with an expression he couldn't read. Somehow, he felt like he'd seen the dog before, though he wasn't quite sure where. _Probably just a stray that wanders around the market_.

"You're Kurogane, right?" the girl asked, her voice high and cute.

"Show a little more respect," Kurogane retorted.

"Ah, that's right," she said, looking like she was remembering something, placing her pointer finger on her chin. "Kurogane's name is really Kuro-pon."

"Excuse me?" Kurogane exclaimed, dumbfounded. Then something clicked in his mind. _I was able to see an old friend of mine today…_ Fai's voice echoed. "Are you a friend of Fai's?"

"Chi is Fai-chan's best friend!" the girl piped. "Chi wanted to see Fai, but the scary men said guards didn't get visitors."

_His best friend, huh?_ Kurogane thought, and he was taken slightly aback by the twinge of jealousy he felt. _He might like being around someone so positive and cheerful instead of me all the time. He might_ need _that. Did he ask her to come here? No, she's probably here on her own free will...right?_ "So how have you seen Fai before now?" he asked, pushing away his insecure thoughts. "I know you have; Fai mentioned you once."

Chi didn't seem to be surprised at all that he knew. She simply tilted her head and smiled at him. "Chi snuck in!"

This sparked Kurogane's curiosity. "You found a way to sneak into the castle? How?" he demanded.

Chi pat the dog's fur absentmindedly. "Yuko-tan helped Chi."

"The witch?" Kurogane took a step forward. "What did she do?"

Chi put a finger to her lips, a playful smile stretching across them. "Chi can't tell Kuro-pon! Yuko-tan said to keep it a secret!"

Kurogane grit his teeth in frustration. "Tell me!" he said loudly, reaching out to grab her wrist. She scampered away, halfway around the table, still grinning as if this were a game. "Why you—" he growled as he moved towards her, but the dog moved in front of him. He stopped and stared at it, surprised. The dog wasn't barking or growling or trying to be intimidating. It simply stood in front of him, eyes pleading and almost human.

_Please don't harm this girl,_ the familiar eyes seemed to say. Kurogane blinked, unsure of what to do. It was so odd that he stood still, shocked for a few moments.

"Chi can't tell you," Chi repeated. "But Yuko-tan can."

"Can she?" Kurogane asked, snapping out of his slight daze. "Alright, take me to her, then."

"Okay!" Chi beamed. "But only if Kuro-pon promises to tell Fai that Chi was here!"

Even though he knew it was ridiculous, he had a strong urge to refuse. _Fai's friends with this annoying chick?_ Kurogane thought. Despite his annoyance, he agreed. "I promise."

* * *

><p>Tomoyo knew what she was doing was wrong; even if it wasn't technically breaking and entering, being in someone's room without their permission was an invasion of privacy and a betrayal of trust. <em>Still, the guards allowed me to,<em> she thought, trying to justify it in her mind. _Even if I did lie to them about why I'm here._

She stood outside of Kurogane's room awkwardly. _You saw him leave,_ she reminded herself. _It would be foolish to knock._ Despite her fear of getting caught, she opened the door and quickly swept inside.

Normally, she wouldn't have done this. She'd just have asked him. But she knew how Kurogane was, and she couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something. She knew it was wrong to spy and pry, but she also knew he would never tell her.

_I'll just take a quick peek,_ she thought. _Just a little look, and then I'll leave right away._

Still paranoid, she decided she should first make sure no one was lurking around, so she moved toward the window. She had a feeling no one would be outside, but she needed to check, just in case. Opening it, she slowly poked her head out, and—

"Ah!" she heard herself scream along with another voice. A tall blonde man was sitting on the ground before her. Tomoyo's long black hair touched the top of his head. Feeling embarrassed, she tossed it over her shoulder quickly.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss," the blonde apologized before she had time to speak or pull away back into the room. He gave her a small smile. "I suppose I scared you, huh?"

"Its alright," Tomoyo said. "I guess I shouldn't have been surprised…although I do think having a guard outside Kurogane-kun's window is a bit much, or at least that's what he'd say…"

A flicker of realization crossed the blonde's blue eyes. "Are you Princess Tomoyo, by chance?"

"Yes, I am. And what would your name be?"

"Oh, no need. I'm just a simple guard, introductions—"

"I don't care about that stuff," Tomoyo said. "Formalities are bothersome."

"I see," the blonde said. "Call me Fai, then."

"I feel like I've heard that name before…" Tomoyo mumbled. She couldn't remember where, but she had the feeling it wasn't somewhere particularly good. Still, the blonde looked harmless, and he worked for the castle, so he couldn't have been anyone dangerous.

"Does his Majesty know you're here?"

"Er, yes," Tomoyo lied. "I need to talk to him about something, and the guards asked me to wait in his room. Does Kurogane know _you're_ out here?"

Fai seemed to hesitate before answering. "You must think it's strange," he replied. "But I was assigned a post out here for Kur—the King's protection."

"I don't think you should push yourself. I mean," she said quickly as Fai gave her a weird look. "Kurogane-kun seems like the kind of person who wouldn't want others to risk their lives for him. He'd want to do things without another's help. I can't imagine him giving an order like this. Unless…he didn't?"

"You seem to know the King very well. I have to admit, you're right, he wouldn't want me to be out here being a meat-shield for him."

"So then why are you out here? Disobeying his orders would make him angry with you, too."

"My, you're quite sharp, aren't you, Princess?" Fai said.

Tomoyo seemed to not have heard him. She was lost in her own thoughts. "Unless," she mumbled, "you're the thing he's hiding? If I think about it, it does make sense...if he didn't order you out here...and he wouldn't want a random stranger to be out here..."

Fai appeared shocked for a moment, but hid his surprise quickly. "Princess, regardless of whether or not you care about formalities, his Majesty—"

"Doesn't either," Tomoyo interrupted. _Yes, Fai-san is what he's hiding,_ Tomoyo thought. _He's always seemed like he's had someone else on his mind when I talk to him. Kurogane-kun isn't someone to be possessive or secretive about material objects. Who else could it be?_

Fai seemed to be at a loss for words. After a few moments, he said, "He trusts you, so I will trust you, too."

"Please don't misunderstand," Tomoyo said quickly. "I'm not mad or jealous, nor do I think its wrong. I can just tell sometimes when I talk to Kurogane-kun that there's someone else on his mind, and I think that if it was you, I could understand."

Tomoyo could've sworn she saw Fai blush ever so slightly.

"Regardless of what I think about him, I can never be sure what he thinks about me."

"If he didn't like you, he wouldn't let you be out here, would he?" Tomoyo said. "Now that I think about it, why are you out here?"

"A promise," Fai replied. "I promised him something that requires my presence here. That's all I can tell you."

"How sweet," she said softly.

"You seem to like him yourself," Fai said. "What do you love most about Kurogane?"

"Eh?" Tomoyo felt her cheeks grow warm. "W-well, he has many admirable qualities—but I'm afraid you're mistaken—"

"You know, if you love someone, Princess, you shouldn't ask someone else to marry you."

Tomoyo blinked. "Nothing gets past you either, Fai-san. I guess Kurogane talks about me more than I thought."

"You're a very lovely young lady."

Tomoyo giggled. "To be honest with you, I didn't ask Kurogane to marry me on a whim. I do like him, you know. My family supports it because of political reasons—apparently my kingdom would look a lot better if we're involved with Nihon. But that's not my main motive. I won't give up easily because of you." _Even so,_ she thought, _no matter how much I like Kurogane,_ _the only person I'll ever love is Sakura._

* * *

><p>"Chi is back, Yuko-tan!" Chi shouted happily as they entered the witch's lair. Kurogane had hoped he'd never have to see this place again, but <em>hitsuzen<em> apparently had other ideas.

Yuko was sprawled on her futon again, pipe in hand, mischievous smile on her lips. The smoke in the air was slightly dizzying, as it was last time. Kurogane began to wonder if all Yuko did all day was lounge around. _Must be an easy life, doing nothing but having fun screwing with people's minds and drinking_, he thought.

"Welcome back, Chi. It's nice to see you again, Kurogane," Yuko said, glancing at Kurogane, mischief in her eyes.

"Chi brought Kuro-tan just like Yuko-tan asked!" Chi beamed.

"What? Brought me? But I—" Comprehension dawned on him. "You sent her to fetch me, didn't you. You've never been in the castle before. You just knew how to bait me."

Yuko grinned her Cheshire grin. "Now, Kurogane, don't be angry. I needed you to come out here somehow, and you know as well as I do that you wouldn't if I asked."

"Tch," was all Kurogane could think of to say in reply. "What do you want, witch?"

Yuko set down her pipe but did not move from the futon. "Chi brought you here on the condition that I'd answer your question. I don't intend to break my promises."

Kurogane felt like every moment he spent with the witch would increase his frustration. Even so, if she had answers, he wasn't willing to pass them up. "My question was about how you snuck into the castle. But you've never snuck in, have you?"

"No, I haven't. But I'm not stupid, either. Sneaking into a castle is a very easy thing to do with magic."

"Are you saying that's how MAGI broke in?" Kurogane asked, thinking maybe that coming here wasn't a waste after all.

"I never mentioned MAGI," Yuko said, "but since you bring it up, no, MAGI did not use magic to break in."

"Then how did they get in?"

"Luck, mostly. The window could've been thicker."

"They just broke the window? An elite magic group didn't use magic? And where were the guards?"

"Knocked out by an enchantment, I suppose."

"I thought you said—"

"They didn't use magic to infiltrate, exactly, although they were aided by a simple sleeping spell."

"If you know all this, then you must know a lot about their plans and strategies. Are they coming back?"

"Your question was how someone would break into the castle. I allowed you one question."

"Don't' play games! I'm not screwing around!" Kurogane yelled, taking a step closer to Yuko. "If you know, witch, tell me!"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

Kurogane held his glare, clenching his fists.

Yuko picked the pipe up again and spoke without taking a puff. "Now, let me tell you why you're here. I need you to deliver something for me."

"And what would that be?" he inquired, crossing his arms. Yuko had given him some information, but nothing too useful. Coming here really was a waste after all; she'd played him into the palm of her hand, tempting him with pointless clues.

Yuko flipped a note out from what seemed like nowhere. "This."

"I'm not a mail man," Kurogane protested, furrowing his brows. "I'm busy, get someone else to do it."

"This is for Fai. Its important that you give it to him. Before you do, however, I need you to promise me that you won't look at the contents inside."

"You can't be sure I won't look at it." Kurogane eyed her suspiciously. "Why not have Fai come here and get it?"

"If he was here, I could simply tell him what I have written here. Besides, the note is a…test, if you will."

"Test?"

"Tell me, Kurogane," drawled the witch. "Who is more important to you, Tomoyo or Fai?"

"It doesn't concern you," he snapped.

"On the contrary, it concerns me greatly. If you don't tell me, Kurogane, I can't let you leave."

"Fine," he growled. "Fai is more important to me. Fai will always be the most important. But I've thought it over, and it's highly unlikely that he's the right choice in 'Queen.'" He snatched the note from her and stormed out, the note clutched tightly in his fist.

"Such a stubborn boy," Yuko said to no one in particular. "Looks like I have to push him even further."

* * *

><p>"Kuro-pii seems like he's in a bad mood," Fai remarked teasingly as Kurogane poked his head out the window. "Although I suppose that's nothing new."<p>

"It's getting colder out," Kurogane said. Little flurries fell from the sky, a pure white contrast to the starless dark sky. "Remember, I'm not forcing you to do this."

"I'll be fine. There's only about 15 more days left anyway." Fai said, his tone intending to sound reassuring. An awkward silence fell over them. _Only 15 more days, and then what?_ Kurogane thought. Many things had happened in the months since they first made the promise. Circumstances had changed. Kurogane had changed. Could he still keep his promise? Back then it was a silly, naïve, frivolous thing, in a time when he had few responsibilities. Now it was a choice that might affect the rest of his life.

Kurogane cleared his throat. "The witch wanted me to give this to you," he said, handing the note to Fai. He watched Fai's eyes move across the paper once, widening slightly. "What is it?"

"Oh, well—you haven't read it?" asked Fai.

"She made me promise not to. Something only for your eyes, I guess. Is everything alright?"

"Yes, everything's fine," Fai said, giving him a small, delicate smile as he tucked the note away. _This smile is fake,_ he thought. Fai's real smile was always so kind, Kurogane wondered what gave him the energy and strength to put on a genuine smile for him everyday. Kurogane had been able to tell between Fai's fake and real smiles a lot more lately, and he observed that Fai's true smiles always held an extra warmth to them, an added brightness. _Does he give that girl that kind of warm smile too? _

Kurogane was intensely curious about the note, but he decided not to pry. Part of it was because he didn't want the witch to win, and another part was because he felt that if Fai wanted to tell him, he would.

"I've been doing this for so long," Fai said suddenly. "Coming out here has become second nature. Like its simply a place where I get to see you, like it has nothing to do with a goal or a promise. I think I've taken being able to talk to you like this for granted. I've told myself time and time again that if you choose Tomoyo it'll be okay…but I'm sitting here for you. I'm waiting all these days for you. I don't know if I can give you up so easily."

_When he says things like that, it makes it harder for me to push him away, _Kurogane thought, frustrated. "Things…change."

Something flickered in Fai's eyes, but it passed before Kurogane had a chance to tell what it was. "Tomoyo asked you to marry her. That's the only thing that's changed. Have you decided yet?"

"No," Kurogane admitted. He weighed the pros and cons countless times, but his heart and his head never wanted to agree. "Not yet."

"You can't put it off forever. I hate to do this, but...I'll give you fifteen days, the rest of our days in our promise. I'll give you that long to choose between me and Tomoyo."

* * *

><p>That day...that night...<p>

Temptation tempted the temptresses.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it! Lots more happened this time. I hope the scene where Tomoyo meets Fai helped you visualize just how high up the window is since I fail at describing it. Also, <strong>I don't know why, but Chi's character is one of the harder ones to write. Yuko, however, comes more naturally to me. xD Its probably because I haven't read Chobits in a while. So I apologize if Chi is OCC. For those of you getting angry at Kurogane, don't worry, you will only continue to get angry at him. 8D When Kurogane said "Something only for your eyes, I guess" the inner fangirl in me wanted to right YOUR BEAUTIFUL BABY BLUE EYES THAT ARE JUST SO HNNG WHY DID YOU LOSE ONE but then my inner editor shot my inner fangirl in the face very quickly. (can you tell I'm tired and crazy right now?)<strong>**

****The contents of the mysterious note will be revealed next chapter! But don't get super excited, its a really short note. xD****


	13. The 89th Day&Night

**THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REVIEWS! Sorry I didn't send out any thank you messages before! I've been a mixture of busy and lazy if that even makes sense. xD Anyway, I've actually been working on the rough drafts more and I have 1 & 1/2 written! wooo!~ :D I know I always say I will try to get these up as soon as possible but this time I actually have an excuse for why it took a while - I had a week of HSPA's (that's what they call the state tests in my state) and then the SAT's right afterwards. And stuff...and yeah. Enough excuses from me. ENJOY THIS NEW CHAPTER, my lovely readers!~ :3**

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><p>"Fai-kun?" said a gentle voice inquiringly. "Are you okay? You keep spacing out."<p>

Blinking, Fai turned to his left. Kazahaya was staring at him inquisitively. "Oh, no, I'm fine, thank you," Fai assured, although it was far from the truth. For the past few days his mind had been racing with thoughts. The note from Yuko. His meeting with Tomoyo. Kurogane's odd behavior. Well, it wasn't really that odd. But it was definitely unsettling.

It was becoming hard to tell if Kurogane was trying to push him away or keep him here. He kept dropping hints that he might choose Tomoyo, but he also behaved as if he wanted to protect Fai, that he didn't want to leave him. Fai didn't want to make Kurogane choose between the two of them, but it was bound to happen eventually. He just wanted a definitive answer, and was tired of being jerked around.

Yuuko's note also disturbed him. He didn't know what to make of it. No matter how many times he read it, he couldn't make heads or tails of it. In Yuko's elegant scrawl, it read:

**_Come see me. I would like to speak with you about the Queen. _**

Fai assumed that it meant Kurogane's mother who went missing all those years ago. _If that's the case, what could we possibly discuss about her?_ Fai would have thought it a joke if it weren't Yuko. She would only summon him if it were something important. Still, he couldn't make any sense about what was so important about talking about the Queen.

Plus, the note simply said, "Come see me." There was no specified time or date. Was he just supposed to show up whenever?

Fai thought about ignoring it, but he was too curious, and a summon from Yuko was difficult to just toss away. Even so, Yuko was intimidating, and if not for his curiosity, Fai would like to postpone it as long as possible.

_And Kurogane doesn't know about this either,_ Fai thought. _It's his mother, why does it concern me?_ Yuko had asked Kurogane to deliver the letter, but had told him not to read it. What was it that Kurogane was not supposed to know about his surrogate mother?

Fai shook his head. _I'll just go and see what she wants. A quick visit, nothing more._

Although Fai felt reassured that a little visit wouldn't hurt, he couldn't help thinking that nothing good would come of this.

* * *

><p>Tomoyo always thought that the kingdom of Tsuki looked best in the springtime, when the cherry blossoms bloomed and the sun was brilliant and bright. Spring was a time when things were warmer and more relaxing, where the kingdom seemed to flourish even in times of desparity. Nevertheless, snow falling in the nighttime always looked beautiful with Sakura.<p>

Fluffy white snow had just begun to layer the ground. Sakura, bundled up in Tomoyo's warmest coat, looked around with bright, curious eyes. Tomoyo watched her walked over to edge of her balcony, staring at the sky dotted with snowflakes and stars. "Wow!" the other princess exclaimed. "So pretty! It never snows in Clow Kingdom. Although I suppose it would be strange for it to snow in a desert kingdom, huh?" Sakura smiled widely at her. Tomoyo always felt warm when she was given that smile. "I'm glad I came here."

"I'm glad you like the snow so much," Tomoyo replied, returning her smile. Sakura was always so energetic, uplifting, full of energy. No matter what mood she was in, Tomoyo couldn't help but feel happy in Sakura's presence.

"It's been awhile since I've been here, hasn't it? I wish I could come here more often."

"Its been awhile since I've been to the kingdom of Clow as well." Tomoyo pulled her knit hat over her ears more. The night air was becoming chillier, but Sakura seemed unfazed. "It must be different since—well, um—"

"Since my father died," Sakura finished. "Its okay, you can say it. Its been three months already."

"How's Touya doing?"

"He's mean, and teases me as always." Sakura placed her hands on her hips. "But he's a good king. A natural, actually. Plus he's got Yukito-san to help him."

"I see. I'm glad," Tomoyo replied. She'd been worried about Sakura ever since the King of Clow died—she knew Sakura would never let Tomoyo see her upset. But she knew that Sakura wasn't alone; she had Touya, and that other boy.

Syaoran.

Tomoyo had never met Syaoran personally, but whenever Sakura spoke of him, it was always in a loving, delicate tone. As if he were something precious. Despite herself, Tomoyo didn't feel jealous at all—Sakura was happy, so she was happy, even if she didn't talk about her in the same tone.

"That reminds me," Sakura said, walking away from the railing and moving closer to Tomoyo, snowflakes sparkling in her light hair. "Touya told me that the King in that kingdom you've been visiting passed away as well. Is the new King, the one you've been seeing—is he okay?"

_How like Sakura, to worry about someone she doesn't even know._ "He's doing alright now." She fought back the urge to say more—that Fai-san was helping him through it, that Kurogane valued his presence more.

Sakura rocked back and forth on her heels. "Is he nice?" she asked, and before Tomoyo had time to respond, Sakura gushed, "Oh, Tomoyo, he has to say yes! I don't know anyone who wouldn't want to marry you! Since you like him, he must be very nice."

"He is, although he has a little trouble showing his nice sides," Tomoyo chuckled. "And he hasn't given me an answer yet because he has other offers."

"I'd really like to meet him," Sakura smiled.

"I'd like to meet Syaoran-san as well. How are things going with him?"

Sakura's face grew warm, even though the night grew colder. "He's very sweet, a gentleman. I'm very lucky. You know, he proposed to me the other day. I said yes."

"I'm so happy for you!" Tomoyo saidy. Sakura deserved a gentleman, someone who would treat her well.

"I really love him," Sakura said quietly, he face getting redder. "But you know, Tomoyo, you don't have to get married just because I am. I don't like how this King has to ponder over whether to choose you or not; if he really loves you he would choose you immediately. Only marry him if you really love him, 'kay? I just want Tomoyo to be happy."

_Although she's kind, she's naïve,_ Tomoyo thought. _Still, I'm glad she cares enough to tell me that._ "Thank you. Clow is lucky to have such a kind princess."

Sakura grinned and turned to face the night sky that was pouring out snow; the ground was covered in a thick layer of the stuff. "If he chooses someone else, don't get too discouraged. If he doesn't choose you, he's not worth it. Can you tell me what his name is, though?"

"Kurogane-kun."

"'Black steel,' huh. Sounds strong."

"Very." Tomoyo couldn't resist any longer. She had to ask. "Sakura, what do you think of a Prince who marries someone who's male and not of royal lineage?"

Sakura placed her finger on her lips, pondering. "As long as they're happy, I don't see a problem. Touya actually proposed to Yukito-san recently, and the kingdom's reaction has been mostly welcoming, although there are a few people who detest it. Yukito-san is a high priest, so its not like Touya's marrying a commoner. Even so—I'm getting married to Syaoran, and he's an archaeologist. Anyway, my point is, its not impossible—and if their people have a problem with it, they simply need to learn how to accept it, and that things can change."

"Touya proposed? I've never heard of this."

"I'm really happy for them. Big brother's been smiling a lot more lately."

_Sakura's so open-minded,_ Tomoyo thought. _I wonder what she would say if I told her that I—_

"Is your competition a man?" Sakura asked suddenly.

"Er—yes," Tomoyo admitted.

"I hope this Kurogane-san chooses right, whomever he chooses."

Tomoyo nodded. _So do I, _she thought. The more she thought about it, the more she thought of Fai—Fai, who appeared gentle and kind with his crystal blue eyes. Who knew Kurogane better than she did—after all, he lived in the castle all the time, always around the angry King. Fai, who loved Kurogane more than she ever could.

_I love Kurogane and Sakura both, _she thought. _Which is why I want them to always be smiling._

Sakura shivered. "We should go inside, it's getting really cold out." She stretched her hand out to the other girl. Tomoyo took it and followed her back inside her own room. Her gloved hand was warm despite the freezing air.

_Sakura's always warm and kind to me,_ Tomoyo thought. _She doesn't have to love me like a lover—if she loves Syaoran, I'll be fine with that. If the person I love is happy, that's all that matters._

_As long as you keep smiling, Sakura, the world will be a bright place._

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><p>It had been a while since Kurogane had been in town. The townspeople had finally begun to calm down about the King's death—now he could walk through town without eyes full of pity boring into him. Regardless, people still stared. In another kingdom, the villagers would be required to bow as he passed, but Kurogane's father had abolished that rule. Kurogane was glad for it; he would go mad if everyone was giving him so much attention when he simply wanted to take a walk.<p>

Even knowing this, he decided to avoid the marketplace, since it was the most densely crowded. He took a route to the backroads, where only a few people lingered. The path was stone, made of brown and gray rocks. Only an old man with his dog and a woman who was tending to the plants outside her house were present; they smiled and greeted him as he passed.

"Kurogane!" a voice called his name suddenly. Kurogane had been lost in thought—he looked around, but the two people didn't seem to have said anything. Then his eyes fell upon the alleyway to his left. He knew he recognized that voice. He looked right and left before entering the alley. The woman continued to water her plants and the old man walked the other way with the dog. He stepped forward.

"What are you doing here?" Kurogane asked Chi. The small girl looked at him with worried, frightened eyes.

"Chi is sorry! Chi is so sorry, Kuro-tan! Chi didn't want to do this, b-but they said if Chi doesn't, horrible things will happen to Fai-chan!" Chi looked hysterical, as if she were trying to hold back tears.

"Who did?" Kurogane demanded. He didn't have the greatest first impression of Chi, but he still didn't like seeing her this upset. Plus, Fai was involved in this somehow. "What are they making you do?"

It was no use. Chi was still hysteric. "Chi's not a bad girl, Chi only wants to help people, Chi wants to help Fai—but Kuro-tan's her friend too—"

_Wham. _A look of shock passed over Chi's face, and she fell forward. Kurogane, surprised, watched her fall, and then looked up to see the assailant. He had red hair, a plain face, and green eyes. What caught Kurogane's attention, however, was not his face, but the emblem on his chest. On the black shirt was an intricate blue design of lightning-bolt lines.

"MAGI," he spat. "What did you do to Chi?"

The man twirled the metal pole in his hand, grinning. "She was just bait," he said. "But you can have her back now, we've already determined she's not the Chosen One."

Kurogane knew that being with a member of MAGI alone was dangerous and that he should run, but too many questions floated on his mind. This could be the murderer right here in front of him. What would he do if it was? Yet he couldn't think of what to ask first as rage slowly bubbled inside him. He waited for the other to speak.

"We need another piece of bait now. You, to be exact."

"Me?" Kurogane repeated, dumbfounded. "Like hell I'm going with you."

The redhead examined the pole. "I wouldn't say that, if I were you. What if I told you that if you didn't come, we'd take your precious Fai-sama instead?"

"I don't care if you take one of my guards. I have plenty to spare."

"You can't play dumb with us, Kurogane-sama. We know he's not just your guard. We've seen him outside your window. You talk to him. You've kissed him."

"Tch." Kurogane grit his teeth in frustration. "If you've seen him, why haven't you taken him yet?"

"Its not as easy as you think. If we could just take him, we would've done that days ago, weeks ago, even months ago. We wouldn't have had to kill that foolish King."

"The King had nothing to do with Fai!" Kurogane found himself yelling. "What…why did you have to kill him?"

"Your daddy was being uncooperative. But that's in the past now. We need your cooperation so no more lives are lost."

"Monsters," Kurogane growled.

"Ouch, that's harsh. We truly have your best interests at heart, you know. What matters more to you? One life, or many? We could kill everyone in the castle, or we could just take Fai and leave innocuously, with your help."

"So why is it that you can't just take Fai whenever you want?"

"Firstly, and most obviously, when he's inside the castle walls its not exactly ideal for us to break in; there would be fighting, pointless casualties, etc. When he's under your window in plain sight, it should technically be easier—but there's this _barrier_."

"A barrier?" Kurogane furrowed his brows in confusion. There were very few people in the castle with magical powers, and even fewer, close to none really, that knew about Fai's nightly vigils. How exactly did a barrier form?

"Whenever a promise is made between two people and at least one of the people is a magic user, some sort of protection is formed in order to ensure that the promise can be carried out. The only way the protection can be broken is if the magic user removes it. Mostly, this 'barrier' is used between two magic users to make sure a deal can be carried out without outside interference."

"So because we…" Kurogane trailed off in thought. Fai was protected because of a silly promise they made based on a children's fairy tale? It was nearly laughable that an elite terrorist group was unable to kidnap their 'Chosen One' simply because they had made a childish promise. Still, Kurogane was grateful—without it, Fai would already have been gone.

"Killing another entire kingdom would be wearisome and tedious. To get Fai to break the barrier, we need you to make him leave, to have no desire to sit outside your window anymore. It would be a lot easier for us."

_This guy makes me sick,_ Kurogane thought viciously. _He talks about murder and harming others like it's a game. Like human lives are frivolous. It's just sickening._

"So you get Fai either way, but one way involves loss of life," Kurogane concluded.

"More or less. Its all up to you, your Highness. Either way we'll get what we want. I've wasted enough time here. We'll strike again in ten days."

"You're monsters!" Kurogane snarled. "Evil and heartless. Do you honestly think you're so superior?" Kurogane stepped forward and threw his fist at the other's face. The punch landed on his cheek, but that was only because the man didn't try to dodge—as if he were mocking him.

"Don't be such a spoiled brat. Sometimes in life, you have to make tough choices, and there's nothing you can do about it." The MAGI member swung his metal pole, and it connected with Kurogane's head. He stumbled and held the place where he had been hit. His fingers felt sticky and smelled like iron—blood. Within seconds, his vision grew blurry and darkness sunk in—and Kurogane had a sinking feeling that his only chance to talk directly to MAGI had come to pass with too many unanswered questions.

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><p>By the time Kurogane had awakened, Chi was also awake and appeared frantic. She panicked at the sight of blood, but Kurogane told her to calm down, that it was nothing to worry about, mostly because he didn't want to deal with her at the moment. She offered to walk him home, but he declined, and he walked quickly away from her.<p>

Kurogane was glad he took the back roads—no one was around to freak out over his wound. By the time he reached the back of the castle, the sun had already begun to set.

_I'll just go in through the window, so no one will worry,_ he thought, but he realized as he rounded the corner to the side of the castle where his room was that he should've known better—Fai was there, waiting like always. He thought about turning back, but Fai had already seen him, so he continued walking forward as the blonde waved at him.

"Kurogane," he said as Kurogane came closer. "Why are you out her—what happened to you?" he asked frantically as he saw the blood on the side of his head.

"I fell," he lied, knowing it was a pathetic lie Fai was not likely to believe. But if Fai really knew, he would try to leave again. _And why should I be concerned about that? _Kurogane thought bitterly. _He'll be gone soon anyway._ He felt a twinge in his chest but tried not to betray any emotion to Fai.

"It doesn't look like you just fell." Fai frowned. "You should get that seen to."

_Don't show concern over me_, he thought as he stared into Fai's kind, blue eyes._ I'm not worthy of your worry. No matter what, you're going to end up hurt… Dammit, this isn't fair! Fai didn't do anything wrong!_

"Are you alright?" Fai asked when he didn't respond.

"I'm fine," he replied gruffly. "Don't touch me," he growled, as Fai's hand began to move towards his head.

_It's not his fault. Don't be cruel to him. It's my fault,_ he thought. _This is the first time I've been unable to protect someone._

"Listen to me," he said, gentler, "if I told you to run, would you?"

Fai blinked. "What? This isn't about MAGI, is it? I told you I wouldn't leave, that I'd stay and fight. You said 'to hell with MAGI!,' remember?"

"Just promise me that if I tell you to leave, you'll do it."

Staring at him for a few seconds, he responded, "As a servant of his king, a guard is required to follow his Majesty's orders."

_How ironic is it that I'm worried about protecting my guard?_ "Not just as a 'servant of the king.' I want you to stop thinking like that."

Fai tentatively reached out and grabbed Kurogane's hand gently. The gesture was so small and kind that it caught him off guard. "Something _is_ bothering you."

"MAGI could strike at any time. If they attack again, I want you to run. Don't worry about anyone but you. Putting you in battle would increase the chances of them taking you."

Fai's grip on Kurogane's hand tightened. "Easier said than done. I've already let another kingdom die because of my existence."

_This time its on my shoulders, not yours._ "Then what's your plan?"

Fai remained silent, pulling his hand away. Kurogane could only guess what he was thinking.

"Don't do anything stupid, okay, fool?"

Fai nodded and gave him a small grin.

"You really should take care of that wound, you know."

"Hmph. It's hardly anything. I'll be fine."

"Kurocchi," Fai started, "have you been thinking lately? Decided yet?"

Fai wasn't typically pushy. He still had time left, didn't he? Why was he asking? "If I chose Tomoyo over you, would you still feel the same about me?"

He looked away. "Of course."

"I haven't decided yet. But that's another thing you have to prepare for. Anything can happen."

_No matter what I say, I'm going to hurt him. What can I do? Is there anyway out?_ Kurogane looked at Fai, really looked at him for the first time in awhile. He wasn't one to pay attention or really care about things like beauty. However, there was a certain sadness in Fai's blue eyes that drew him in. That intrigued him. He'd grown used to looking at them everyday but never truly saw them. What if he never saw them again?

_I won't let them take Fai,_ he thought. _I'll find some way, somehow or another._

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

Self-destruction was imminent.

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><p><strong>Sooo I have to confess that the setting for the part with Sakura and Tomoyo was inspired by the Flainor scene in <em>Tales of Symphonia<em>, one of my favorite games EVAR. Whenever I think of TomoSaku, I think of this quote from _Clockwork Angel_: "It's alright to love someone who doesn't love you back, as long as they're worth you loving them. As long as they deserve it." And I know the thing about Touya and Yukito getting engaged doesn't really matter in this story at all but I love Touyuki nearly as much as I love Kurofai. 8D Anyway, I just wanted to address Tomoyo's feelings for Sakura before the story progressed. Tomoyo doesn't seem like the type of person to get jealous like most people would if the person they love love's someone else, so I tried to show that.**

**ANYWAY - MAGI returns! gasp! and with a threat! So much angst! But it wouldn't be a Kurofai fic without angst! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And that you stay with me until the end! All reviews are welcome! Have a nice day! Hyuu!~**


	14. The 95th Day&Night

**Hey everyone!~ It's me again, with a new chapter for you all! I know I've probably lost some readers with my slowness so I am thankful for those who have been dedicated to reading it! Its spring break for me so I should have plenty of time to write (that is if I don't run into writer's block again..) I apologize in advance if the quality of this chapter isn't good. I didn't proofread as much as I should have. I think this chapter shall be called "Story time with Yuko-chan." Or something. Anyway, here it is~**

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><p>Deciding he shouldn't put it off any longer, Fai had finally come to visit Yuko. It had been awhile since he had been in the witch's lair, and he thought that, knowing the witch, it might not be his last visit either.<p>

Maru and Moro, the blue and pink haired girls who hadn't changed at all since Fai first saw them years ago, welcomed him inside. At first he did not see Yuko—instead, a giddy Chi came rushing at him, tackling him to the ground.

"Fai-chan!" she said excitedly. "Chi is so happy to see Fai-chan again!"

Smiling, he responded, "It's nice to see you again too, Chi."

"So you came," Yuko's voice sounded from the back of the room. Fai peerd over Chi's head and saw Yuko leaning against the wall, wearing a black patterned kimono, her long black hair down, her eyes the color of blood. Although he was taller than her, he couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by her presence.

"You didn't think I would?" Fai said, sitting up as Chi got off him.

"No, I knew you'd give into curiosity eventually. However I was expecting you to come sooner."

"The guards are still working extra hours at the castle."

"I am aware. Either way, you're here. I knew you wouldn't need to be tricked like Kurogane."

This piqued Fai's interest. "His Majesty was here?" Suddenly he felt dumb. "Oh right, you gave him the note."

Yuko nodded. "Come, sit." She gestured towards the circular table in the center of the small room. Fai guessed that the futon he had seen last time he was here was in a room farther back.

Fai noticed the scent in the room was light and flowery. There was a pipe set down in the center of the table, but Fai could smell no smoke. He felt calm and peaceful for the first time in a while. Sitting down across from Yuko, he asked her, "Why am I here?"

"I'm assuming you read the note?"

"It said you wanted to talk about the Queen. Yyou mean the late King's wife?"

"I do mean her. But before we talk about her, I would like to discuss her son."

"His Majesty?"

"When you're with me, you need not call him that. Before you say anything, I'll tell you that I know about your relationship. I need to know in order to fulfill a wish. But I will get to that later.

"Kurogane seems conflicted about whether to choose you or Tomoyo. What do you make of that?"

Fai paused a few moments before responding. "I understand where he's coming from. He has to think of his country. Even so, I thought that if he cared about me enough, it wouldn't matter. Things would work out in the end. I know his heart wasn't in it in the beginning, but I thought things had changed. Still, maybe duty should come first."

"And what would you do if Kurogane did favor duty and choose Tomoyo?"

Fai swallowed. "If he…chose Tomoyo?" He had put off thinking about that for a long time. He tried convincing himself that he'd learn how to deal with it, learn how to cope, but could he really be okay with it?

"Yes. Would you quit your job? You'd have to be around him everyday otherwise. Would you run? Hide?"

"It's not like I haven't left a kingdom before."

"Last time you left, you came to me. Where would you go this time? Would you really be able to leave? Or would you stay and endure the pain of seeing him with someone else?"

Fai crossed his arms. "I'm assuming you have something up your sleeve, Yuko-san."

Yuko grinned. "Would you like to hear about the story of the Queen's disappearance?"

"Is that why you called me here?"

"Indeed it is. You might find this story interesting. Helpful, even. Shall I begin?

"The night the Queen disappeared, she came here, to my shop. She told me that she and the King had gotten into a fight. The Queen was over-stressed from the pressure from the kingdom. As you know, the Queen could not bear an heir, which was not only disappointing for the kingdom but made her depressed. She adopted Kurogane not only as a favor to her deceased friends but in order to compensate for her failure. She loved Kurogane dearly, mind you, but she felt as though she had failed many people and that they all held it against her.

"The Queen was not supposed to marry the King in the first place, either. Originally, the King was engaged to her elder sister, but in his visits to her kingdom, he gradually fell in love with her instead. Her sister never forgave her. She began to think that it would've been better if the King had chosen her sister instead, someone who could produce an heir. That, ultimately, it would be better if she didn't exist."

"None of that is her fault," Fai said feebly. Anyone hearing the story could see that the Queen was not to blame, but Fai felt oddly sympathetic with her. He knew how she felt—he was ultimately in the same boat. He could not give an heir, the kingdom wouldn't approve of the marriage, what with him being a commoner and a man, and Kurogane could potentially have a better life with someone else. If Fai were taken out of the picture…if he disappeared…if they had never met…would Kurogane have a normal, happy life then?

"That's what the King told her when she brought it up. But the Queen was hysterical and had her mind made up. She accused him of not loving her, that she was a burden he felt sorry for, and many other cruel things. He tried to console her, but she ran away and came to me.

"Before you jump to conclusions, I did not take her life. There is no equal price for taking the life of another. However, like anyone else who enters my shop, she came here with a wish. She wanted me to hide her, to make her disappear. Her price was that if he, the King, could not find her before midnight, she would not be able to see him again, and would have to take a form he wouldn't recognize her in."

"The King sent the whole kingdom to find her, and they weren't able to?"

"The condition was that he himself must find her. And he never left the castle to go search for her, he sent other people.

"She had a second wish as well. She wanted me to watch over her son. More specifically, she asked me that I ensure that he has a happy life and marriage, and that he doesn't end up like her. I told her that I would try to lead him in the right direction to the best of my ability. Her price was her freedom."

"So she had that little faith that the King would find her that she gave up her freedom before he tried?" Fai asked in disbelief.

"It turns out she was right, though, doesn't it?"

Fai pressed his lips together. "Is she here, then?"

"Indeed she is. You've even met her before." Yuko said. Fai wrinkled his brow. "Come in."

A black dog padded in from a door at the back of the room. It wasn't just any stray dog, however. Fai recognized it as the dog that had stayed with him waiting under Kurogane's window on all those lonely nights.

"_This is the Queen?_" Fai asked incredulously.

"I said that if he did not find her, she would transform into something he wouldn't recognize, did I not?"

"But you also said you took away her freedom," Fai said. "And I've seen her before. By the castle."

"I control her freedom. She is to stay here unless I permit her to go to other places. But she may only go where I tell her."

The Queen's decisions and sacrifices seemed foolish. To give up all she had, just because she doubted herself? Yet Fai could understand her. It was foolish, yes, but hadn't Kurogane always called him a fool? Disappearing would make everything not only easy on others but easy on yourself.

Fai stared at the pitiful dog now sitting by Yuko's feet. It gazed up at him with sorrowful human eyes. "She is not royalty anymore, so do not treat her as such," Yuko said.

Fai finally understood why Yuko brought him here. She was giving him options. _If things do not turn out as you want, you can follow the Queen's path. _Living was becoming wearisome. If he did not exist in the castle, he would be free of his bonds. _MAGI would stop coming after me and the castle would be safe. Kurogane wouldn't have to worry about me. Kazahaya wouldn't have to be burdened with my duties. How can anything but my disappearance work?_

_As far as I see it, I have three options: suicide, let MAGI capture me, or run and hide here. Either way, I will disappear, and not burden anyone with my existence again._

"You already know who he's going to choose, don't you?" Fai asked. The question had been burning in the back of his mind for a while. He clenched his fists, anxious for the answer.

"A wish concerning love is the most difficult wish to grant. I have gathered my information, I have executed the proper actions, and I have interfered as much as I am allowed to. It is mostly up to Kurogane now."

The black dog trotted over to Fai and prodded his knee with her nose, whimpering. This was the Queen, Fai reminded himself, the actual Queen. Her eyes convinced him that Yuko was telling the truth. Was she trying to tell him something? Warn him?

Fai felt as though there were a pressure on his chest. His two fates were a life with Kurogane or one without him at all. But wasn't it like that for everyone who loved someone, and wasn't sure about having their feelings returned?

_To love is to destroy._ Fai had learned that a long time ago, but he stubbornly clung to a sliver of hope, wishing to be wrong. But again things he held dear would be destroyed, simply because he selfishly desired companionship, to hope that his existence wasn't as meaningless as he knew it was.

"Thank you for sharing that information with me," Fai said, standing up. "I never properly thanked you for saving me all those years ago by introducing me to the King. You never told me my price, either."

Yuko picked up the pipe that had sat idle in the center of the table during their conversation. Eyeing it, she said, "The price has already been paid. Being introduced to the King was never your wish to begin with, anyway. There is such a thing as free will, Fai. But that doesn't mean other people's decisions can't affect us. You, of all people, should know that."

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><p>Kurogane had become so accustomed to headaches lately that it felt strange not to have one. He was not comforted by their presence whatsoever, but it had become such a usual thing. Even now, he had one, for he had thought far too much about what he was going to do right now.<p>

"Hello, Kurogane-kun," a soft voice came from the front of the room. Kurogane turned around to find Tomoyo standing in front of the door. "Have I kept you waiting?"

"No, you're right on time," Kurogane replied, checking the Conference Room's clock. "Did you travel far?"

"I've actually just come from the Clow Kingdom, where Sakura lives."

"Ah. I hope she's well."

"Engaged, actually," Tomoyo said, and looked as though she had not meant to blurt that out. Quickly, she changed the topic. "I'm assuming you did not call me here to discuss the well-being of other princesses, though."

"Right," Kurogane said, crossing his arms. "I wanted to discuss your marriage proposal."

"Does that mean you've made a decision?"

Kurogane closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he reopened them, he said, "Yes, I have. I'd like to accept it, if you're still willing."

Tomoyo looked shocked, and Kurogane couldn't fathom why. Hadn't she wanted him to say yes?

"Yes, I'm still willing. Are you sure? I mean, there aren't any other offers you might like to take?"

Kurogane grit his teeth in frustration. Why couldn't she just accept it? Why did she have to be difficult? "None at all," he replied. "I choose you. Unless you have other offers?"

"No, I don't have any either. Like I said, I intend to marry you, no matter what."

_We're both fools,_ Kurogane thought. _Two idiots who love someone else but are marrying each other. Maybe we're suited for each other after all._ "Alright. It's settled, then?"

"Well what about—" she hesitated, then said quietly, "what about Fai-san?"

It was Kurogane's turn to be surprised. _How does she know about him?_ "I don't know anyone by that name."

"Don't lie to me!" she yelled, catching Kurogane off guard. "I met him. You can't tell me he doesn't exist."

Kurogane didn't know how the two had come into contact. Either way, he didn't really care. "So, what about him? How does this have anything to do with him?"

"I know he's not just your castle guard," Tomoyo said, standing up straighter. "He seems like a nice guy. Breaking his heart would be rather cruel, don't you think?"

"It's none of your business!" Kurogane roared, unable to control his temper. Tomoyo reflexively took a step back. He tried to compose himself quickly. "He was a waste of my time. Means nothing. I chose you, all right? I chose you."

"Kurogane-kun—"

"You wanted me to marry you, right? And now its what I want too. So there's no problem." _Exactly who are you trying to convince?_ he thought angrily.

Tomoyo appeared pensive for a moment, then said, "We're engaged, then. Should we set a date?"

"…No. Not yet."

"Whatever you wish," she said.

_If I'm good at anything, its messing things up,_ Kurogane thought. _Fai, can you forgive me? For all the pain I've caused you?_

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

The foolish one was not the fool.

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><p><strong>I'm probably gonna get mixed reviews about the Queen. That's my prediction for this chapter. Especially with her being a dog and all. Anyway, TENSIONNNN. Has my angst been working? What will happen next? Who knows! Tune in next time for the next chapter, which will probably be the 98th daynight! Remember to review, please!**


	15. The 98th Day&Night

**I'M SOOO SORRY /bows deeply. This should've been up like 2 weeks ago. But my computer decided to conveniently screw itself so I haven't really gotten a lot of time to just write. However I should be getting a new one really soon and then I promise I will get more of this story up! I've also been busy with stuff like school (end of the year projects and the like) and Zenkaikon and yeah. I**** know its been awhile but I hope you enjoy it all the same!**

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><p>Fai frowned. The sky had turned an angry shade of gray and threatened a downpour. Not like he hadn't endured worse—the stinging sharp winds and freezing nighttime winter temperatures had been harsher. Winter was waning, even if only slightly. He hoped that a change in weather would bring a positive change in the castle. Even if his own hopes were fading.<p>

He could handle a day of rain. There were only two more days left, after all.

The possessions he had with him—a wrinkled, beaten calendar and the blanket—were all he'd needed with him on his 100 day vigil. He hadn't been out here 24/7, yes, but he'd always been near Kurogane, and he'd been out here as much as his schedule would allow. Most times he'd slept out here. He'd always been there. After two more days…what would happen then? Would his waiting be pointless after all?

Fai had been uneasy since his meeting with Yuko. It was foolish of him to think that Kurogane would choose him just because he promised. They weren't children.

_I always have Chi,_ he thought. _If Kurogane has Tomoyo, I have Chi._ He'd told himself that numerous times. But even though it was great to see Chi and know that she was safe and alive, his head was constantly filled with Kurogane. He could never love Chi like he loved Kurogane.

_I guess this is my punishment, huh? _Fai thought. Once you get close, you get hurt. You hurt others. Fai knew that as long as he held the title of 'Chosen One' he could not become close to anyone.

_You broke your own rule. And now look at you. How pathetic._

There were only two more days left in their promise. Fai was unsettled that Kurogane still hadn't told him his decision yet. His mind could only think of a negative outcome.

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><p>"A storm should be coming," Yuko observed, sitting outside her house on the front porch, staring at the darkening sky. A calm breeze played with the tangled, thick hair of the black dog that sat by her right side. Chi opened the front door, and before she could speak, Yuko said, "Come, sit by me."<p>

Chi obeyed, plopping down on Yuko's left. The witch appeared to be waiting for her to speak. "Chi was just wondering," she began tentatively, "what Yuko-tan was talking to Fai-chan about last time. Fai didn't look sad, but Chi could feel his sadness. So Chi felt sad too. Chi doesn't want Fai-chan to be sad."

"Fai has to make important decisions. People often get depressed when faced with major choices. One of his decisions could make him the new canine queen around here," Yuko joked.

"Chi doesn't like the dog-lady!" Chi said loudly, standing up, her hands clenched into fists. "Dog-lady has negative energy and doesn't make Chi feel good. Chi doesn't want Fai to end up like that!"

The dog growled. Yuko pet her head gently, as if telling it to back down. The dog turned its head away moodily, resting it on her paws.

"It's not her fault, Chi," Yuko said.

Chi crossed her arms. "So if the dog-lady is the old Queen, where's the King?"

"He died recently. That's why Kurogane is the King. Remember?" The dog whimpered loudly, burying its face between its paws.

"But Yuko-tan never told Chi how the King died."

"Do you remember what I told you about the Magically Assisted Genius Institute?" Chi nodded. "On the night the King was first attacked, MAGI set out to capture Fai. He was, however, outside Kurogane's room, protected byt the barrier. They asked him how to break the barrier, but the King told them that he did not know. They wounded him as a warning.

"The night the King died, they broke in again, asking him one last time if he would tell them. Although they know it now, at the time they did not know how to break it, and didn't know that it was a promise-based magic. Sort of ironic for magical geniuses to not be able to identify a simple magick. Of course, he would not comply. He said, 'I won't allow you to hurt my children.' The MAGI members told him that if he didn't help them, they would take his life. To which he replied, 'Do as you wish. It is about time I pay for my sins. Maybe I can be reunited with my beloved in the next life.'"

The dog cried even louder.

"So that's why the dog-lady is so sad."

Yuko smiled vaguely at her.

"You must understand how it feels to have someone you love die."

"Chi has had time to mourn Hideki. The dog-lady hasn't had much time."

"Wounds like that take a long time to heal."

"I bet Kuro-tan's heart still hurts too. And if Kuro-tan is hurt than Fai-chan is probably hurt. And that makes Chi sad again. Yuko-tan," she looked up at the witch with her wide, worried eyes. "Kuro-tan will get sadder if MAGI takes Fai-chan, right? Is there anything we can do for Kuro-tan?"

"I'm allowed to meddle very little," the dark-haired witch replied. The black dog gave another whimper, but this one was not full of suffering; instead, it was almost pleading.

"I've done my best to fulfill your wish," Yuko said soothingly, stroking the distressed dog's coat. She rested her head on the witch's lap. "There is little else left for me to do. Just trust your son."

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><p><em>Dammit,<em> Kurogane thought, pacing back and forth in his room. _Damn it all. Is there really no other way?_

He'd carefully gone over his plan in his head dozens of times, making sure there were no flaws, no alternate routes. In order to get everything accomplished, he could only think of one way. But he couldn't predict how Fai or Tomoyo would act.

The things on his to-do list were these:

Keep Fai safe.

Eliminate MAGI.

Make things up to Tomoyo.

Make sure no one in the kingdom dies.

So far all he'd done was hurt his friends, and MAGI still existed.

_Do I really have to hurt them to protect them? Twisted irony._ He ran his fingers through his hair, closing his eyes. _I just need to keep him safe and alive, even if he hates me for it. Even if afterwards he doesn't trust me or want to be near me._

MAGI would be coming tomorrow. They'd warned him ten days ago that they would be coming. In order to protect his people, he'd need to break the barrier.

Kurogane had no real intention of marrying Tomoyo. He knew it was awful of him to say yes and then to take it back. But he knew that if he went with Tomoyo, he would always be seeing blue eyes glancing at him in his peripheral vision, or blonde hair whip around the corner, or he would think about that foolish smile and be filled with regret.

He wasn't one to follow the rules or tradition anyway. His very existence broke tradition, for his veins didn't flow with royal blood.

But he needed Tomoyo to believe he was genuine if Fai asked her. When he told Fai, he didn't know what the blonde would do. If he went to Tomoyo, he needed her to confirm it. They'd already met without him knowing, after all.

Telling Fai this news would break the barrier. Fai would no longer have a reason to wait outside his window. He would leave, thus breaking the promise. MAGI would come to try to take him the next day then. But Fai would be in the castle, where Kurogane could hide him…but then MAGI would attack…and would Fai give himself up?

_No, you've thought about this,_ he reminded himself. His eyes wandered to Ginryuu hanging on his wall. _Fai will be in plain sight so they won't think we've hidden him. Then I challenge the leader to a duel. I've had as much training as the guards. I knew how to wield a sword even when I still lived with my biological parents. Fai will be in the castle where he's safe. They won't attack the castle because the barrier is broken. Then I challenge the leader to a duel. Its' reckless because I don't know his abilities, but they'll all flee if they don't have a leader. We can deal with them later…_

It was a gamble, and it might not work, but it was the only plan Kurogane had. He didn't want his people to die. He didn't want Fai to be taken. It would be romantic to say that if he could trade places with Fai, he would. But nothing truly good comes from self-sacrifice. It only hurts the people you care for more.

He hated jerking Tomoyo around too. Would she be disappointed if he said he wanted to break off their engagement? He had a feeling she wouldn't, but he didn't like hurting people as kind as her either.

The whole thing was a mess, a web he'd tangled himself in. _This is what I get for getting close to people. If I step wrong, a landmine will explode. Everything could be destroyed so easily._

It pissed him off. Why did MAGI need Fai so badly? To use him as a weapon? Like Fai would agree to that. Why did Tomoyo have to be so kind? Did she care at all? And why did the King let MAGI take his life? Couldn't he have stopped them? He left Kurogane to face this all alone!

_No,_ he reminded himself, _it's not the King's fault._ The word _hitsuzen_ surfaced in his mind. What exactly did _hitsuzen_ have planned for this?

_Whatever it is, I just want Fai to be safe._

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><p>Storm clouds blocked most of the sky that night. Fai wished they would move so a little glimmer of light would show, but the stars remained hidden. The grass beneath him was cold and stiff.<p>

_It's nearly midnight,_ he thought. _Nearly the 99__th__ day…only one more._ Even though he knew he should've felt happy, his heart sank. Tension and anticipation and anxiety flooded his mind. _What if what if what if what if—_he just didn't want to consider the possibilities any more.

If Kurogane did choose him, what would he do? He felt like he'd already given up, like he knew what was coming. He didn't know why, but he had this gnawing intuition. Why else would Yuko provide him with other options? Why else would Kurogane put off telling him for so long? And why wouldn't Kurogane want a beautiful, young princess rather than a foolish guard with a dangerous past?

Fairytales don't exist, after all.

The window jostled behind him. He jumped as his heart started to pound.

"Fai," Kurogane's voice called his name. "I need to talk to you."

"Of course, Kuro-chan," Fai said, forcing a little smile. He noticed that Kurogane had dark circles under his eyes, which made him look more intimidating than he usually did.

Kurogane didn't speak for a few moments. Then he took a deep breath, crossed his arms, leaned out the window slightly more, and said, "I accepted Tomoyo's marriage proposal."

Fai had expected to feel a number of things. He expected to feel upset, depressed, to not be able to control his emotions, to be angry. To feel betrayed, to have his heart broken, all of the emotions that come with rejection…but the only thing he felt was relief. Now he didn't have to worry about the "what ifs." Now he knew what to do. Now he could finally make everyone's lives easier.

"So," Kurogane continued, "you don't have to feel obligated to do anything for me anymore."

"I am your guard," Fai managed in a clear voice. "It's my job to do things for you."

Kurogane looked away for a few moments. "All guards are to be present in the castle tomorrow. Understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Fai said. _Not like it matters what I say or what I call him anymore. I'm going to be gone soon anyway._

Kurogane looked like he was about to say something, but Fai spoke before he could.

"Kurogane," Fai stood up and faced the other man. From the ground, the window looked higher up, but now he realized he could meet Kurogane's eyes if he simply stood. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity. You have been kind to me, which is more than I originally could've ever hoped for. I didn't think you'd accept in the beginning. I didn't think you'd talk to me. You've done a lot for me that I'm grateful for. I…" _I love you._ But to say those words now would only be painful. For the both of them. Quickly, he leaned forward and kissed Kurogane on the cheek. Without a moment's hesitation, he turned away and disappeared behind the castle where, unbeknownst to Kurogane, he slept for the rest of the night.

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

The storm clouds still lingered.

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><p><strong>Okay I know it seems like I just went OH SHIT EVERYONE HATES KURO-PON I HAVE TO REDEEM HIM AND TAKE IT BACK but that's not what I was going for. I planned for him to do this before and I guess I just didn't execute it well. ._.;; it wasn't supposed to happen this early either but then I realized it kinda had to for other events to happen and work. SO I APOLOGIZE ONCE AGAIN. Also. I was trying really really hard not to make the ending seem like the goodnight kiss in No. 6. I actually hadn't even thought of that until after I'd written it. So I swear I'm not trying to copy it. Its just something that I felt like would happen.<strong>

**I would also like to clarify that I don't think that Fai is weak or helpless without Kurororo or that he's dumb. I've seen some writers portray Fai as this helpless, innocent little uke. But Fai's just as strong as Kuro is. If Kuro was in Fai's position for this fic, I think he would leave too, because its just too heartbreaking for _anyone_ to hang around the person they love who's with someone else.**


	16. The 99th Day&Night

**THE 99TH DAY/NIGHT! WOO! it only took me, what, like a year to get here? xD sorry for the month long wait again guys. school just got out recently so i have more free time! yay! i can finally finish this story! anyway, i hope you enjoy this new chapter, those of you who are still reading, and those of you who have just discovered this fic! 8D**

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><p>It was raining. Fai heard thunder but saw no lightning. He was soaked, but didn't care. The shock and relief had passed. He simply felt tired now, and his chest ached.<p>

_Why am I still here?_ he thought. Dawn had already passed, but Fai had not seen Kurogane.

Kurogane…what had he thought of that small goodbye kiss last night? Fai had wanted it to encompass everything he couldn't put into words. However, at this point, he wondered if it was successful at all.

_I wanted to be near him just one more time. But now its time to go._ Slowly he got up and began to move to the front of the castle, leaving his calendar and the blanket Kurogane gave him behind. As he approached it, he saw a number of people gathered near the front gates. From this distance, he couldn't tell who they were. He was too tired to give it any sort of consideration. _Guess I'll take the back roads then…_

He didn't know how long he trudged down the little-taken roads; time seemed to be suspended. How could time move forward now anyway?

Eventually he came to the witch's place. Yuko was already waiting outside in a black and white kimono and holding a matching parasol. Maru, Moro, and Chi weren't around. Only the black dog with her sad eyes sat next to Yuko.

"I am assuming," the witch started, "that you've come here for the request we discussed last time?"

Fai nodded.

"She will take you to the shop," Yuko said, indicating the dog, "and will show you the spot she was hidden last time. You are to stay there until midnight. Any last requests?"

Fai just wanted to get this over with. However, one thing did pop into his head.

"I just want Kurogane to be happy. I know that was the Queen's wish. But all his suffering lately has been because of me. So if he doesn't find me…after midnight…I want you to erase his memories of me."

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><p>"Kurogane, they're here!" Shira called through his doorway.<p>

He didn't have to ask to know who 'they' were. He'd already seen them through the windows in the castle. He grabbed Ginryuu from his wall, slid it through his belt, and opened the door.

"What do they want?" he asked as they walked down the hallway.

"We're not sure yet," Shira replied. "They just asked for you. Everyone's been assembled at the entrance. Just in case. Not like anyone wanted to stay inside anyway."

"Everyone? Are you sure?"

"We didn't take roll call, if that's what you're asking."

Kurogane asked no more questions. When they came to the entrance, all was quiet.

All around him were members of the castle—the maids, servants, guards, etc. In front of them seemed to be an equally large gathering of people. MAGI.

Kurogane spotted the leader right away. They all wore the same pattern, but the leader's was blue instead of red. He exuded an air of superiority and appeared larger than his followers. Straight black hair flowed past his shoulders, and his expression was unreadable. Kurogane's hand moved to Ginryuu at his side.

"Where's the Chosen One?" the leader demanded before Kurogane could speak. Gasps of surprise came from the castle workers, and scared looks passed their faces. Of course they didn't know what was going on. Should Kurogane have told them? He wasn't sure.

"You should know," Kurogane retorted, taking a step closer to the leader, fire in his veins. _If I can fight him,_ Kurogane thought, _something will be settled. Whether he dies or I die._

MAGI's leader gestured around the area. "He's not here. We sensed the barrier break, so we did not attack, as promised. But he's not here. Did you hide him from us? If you were foolish enough to do that…"

Kurogane looked around. For blue eyes. Blonde hair. However, he was right. Fai was not here.

The leader noted Kurogane's surprise. "He's not here," he repeated.

Kurogane gritted his teeth in frustration. _Well, shit. I didn't think he'd run away. But then again, why didn't I think that? It's reasonable. At least he's safe, I suppose. But they could still find him eventually. I have to follow through with my plan._

"Did you warn him, tell him to run?" the leader asked. Everyone else was silent, confused, hoping that the next word uttered would provide them explanation. "If so, you are foolish. We told you—either him or them. So, which will it be?"

Kurogane closed his eyes and thought for a few moments. When he reopened them, he said, "You're right. I told him to run. So it's my fault. These people should not be punished." He drew Ginryuu and pointed it at the leader. "Fight me. And only me."

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><p>It had started raining again. A thunderstorm. Lightening flashed and thunder clapped. The sky had grown dark even thought it was midday. Fai watched the rain droplets pour from the sky while under the overhanging of the shed in the backyard of Yuko's shop. According to the witch, it held many strange objects, and if he wished to, he could go inside it. At first he hesitated, his hand resting on the door handle, but eventually decided that it would be better than standing out in the damp cold. And this may be his last day as a human, so why not? He turned the handle and entered.<p>

The shed looked bigger on the inside then the outside. Even so, it was crowded, filled will shelves that held numerous strange objects. They were all shapes and sizes—swirly, orb-like, boxy, cylindrical, some even looked like parts of humans or animals. There were so many that he couldn't even begin to describe them all. Rows and rows of shelves filled the warehouse.

He wanted to reach out and grab them, to discover their powers, but he knew better than to get involved in what he didn't know.

He paced the aisles, glancing at the items, thinking. _Am I really so pathetic that I ran away from my problems? I can handle being by myself. I've done it before. I swore I'd do it for the rest of my life. Does being without him scare me that much?_

As he walked, a certain object caught his eye. He stopped and then moved closer to it; there was nothing incredibly special about it. It looked just like a plain gem, the size of an egg, or maybe even a little smaller. It confused him. Everything Yuko owned was extraordinary. What power did this plain-looking stone have?

Going against his previous decision not to touch anything, he reached out to grab it. It was cool in his palm. He didn't know what he expected—to feel energy pulsing through it, maybe—but it felt just like a normal rock. He looked to the spot where he'd taken the gem. There was a tiny slip of paper that he hadn't noticed before. Picking it up, it read:

_Keep it._

His eyes widened slightly. Was the note meant for someone else? Or did someone know he would take it? Was this _hitsuzen_?

Whatever the case, he pocketed the stone anyway.

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><p>"Fight you?" the leader scoffed. His soldiers laughed with him. "We clearly outnumber you. How about this: you tell me where he ran, or I'll kill everyone here." The last few words trailed off his lips lightly, softly.<p>

_Shit,_ Kurogane thought. _I thought he'd be too proud to back down, not use cowardly tactics. But I suppose only a coward would murder an entire kingdom._

Kurogane remained firm. "I don't know where he went. I just told him to run."

The leader sighed, frustrated. "I'm not in the mood to wipe an entire kingdom off the map again. It'll only damage our reputation further. And I'm not so stupid that I'd fight a man I hardly know on foreign territory. So I'll make you another deal. If you cannot find the Chosen One by the end of the day, we will launch our attack on the Kingdom of Nihon and search for him ourselves."

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><p>"Humans are truly curious beings, aren't they?" Yuko said to the black dog at her feet. She stood staring out her window at the stormy skies. "They will do anything for their heart's desires."<p>

The black dog looked up at her with concerned eyes.

"There is no such thing as coincidence. There is only _hitsuzen_. All of this was bound to happen. Your wish. MAGI's attack. They're intertwined. All for the sake of Kurogane's fate. And the other's fate as well."

The dog, like always, still appeared to be melancholy. She prodded Yuko's leg with her nose.

"Do not fret. What will happen to those two boys is up to them. It is not your fault. The fates of humans are changeable, however easy to predict. They are all the same in the end."

Lying down, the dog placed her head in her paws, appearing pensive.

"You should not worry over the girl, either," Yuko soothed. "She is a dream seer. She was cautioned. She knew the possibilities. Whatever happens, she has been prepared for. I have faith in the princess, as well as the other two, to make the right decisions hereon."

And for once, the dog closed her eyes, an almost calm and peaceful look on her face.

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><p>Kurogane didn't know how many hours had passed. The sky had been the same dark, looming gray all day. He was afraid that there was little time left.<p>

He stopped running, pausing to catch his breath. Rain was still pouring from the sky. He was soaked and had already slipped a few times in his hurriedness. His legs grew tired. His heart was pounding. He continued to search.

_The King sent many people to find the Queen, but she was never found,_ Kurogane recalled. _Will I even be able to find Fai?_

He combed through the market, asked around, knocked on the doors of every house in town, and searched every obscure spot he knew of. He set off to search in even more obscure places in town, like an abandoned house, secret passageways, and hiding places the village children used. Finding nothing, he stopped on the outskirts of town running his fingers through his hair, pacing back and forth. "Dammit!" he growled. _Everyone's depending on me! Everyone's future is on my shoulders! Damn, where could he be?_ His patience was wearing incredibly thin. He searched his mind for places he hadn't looked at yet. His steps grew rapider. _Did he leave town? Is there some place I'm forgetting? Where would he go?_ Suddenly he stopped, an idea entering his mind.

The witch.

She would know, at the very least. Maybe he was even there. But why would Fai go to the witch?

He didn't care to think about why. He dashed on numb and tired legs through the rain to Yuko's shop. He didn't know why he hadn't thought to go there first. But then again, he didn't think Fai would want to go there; neither of them were too fond of the witch in the first place.

Kurogane stood in front of the doors to the shop, the same doors he stood in front of weeks ago. Back then, he was a carefree Prince who had just come of age, had little responsibilities, and cared about little. It seemed like years had passed since then.

He threw the doors open. Maru and Moro weren't there to greet him. Chi wasn't around either. Even the witch wasn't in her usual spot, lounging and smoking a pipe. Kurogane wandered around the shop, entering rooms he'd never been in before.

"Something's up," he muttered to the empty place. "She's always here. Where else would she go? She wouldn't just take off." He grit his teeth. "Then again, maybe she would."

_Well, there's only one place I haven't checked, I suppose, _he thought. It was the door that led to the backyard. He tried the handle, and it opened; he entered the area, and found it was mostly small and empty, save for a shed. He tried that handle too, thinking it may be locked, but it opened with ease. _Something doesn't feel right,_ he thought, but entered anyway.

Whoever owned the storage house looked like either a collector or a hoarder. Aisles of ceiling high shelves were placed throughout the cluttered room. Items overflowed the shelves and occupied the floor. The only light came from the few light fixtures hanging from the ceiling.

Kurogane stumbled around. Was anyone even here? If Fai wasn't here, he didn't know where else to look.

For a few minutes, he paced through a few aisles, staring at the odd objects. _It doesn't really surprise me that the witch would have these,_ he thought. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he bumped into something. He blinked, looking at what he bumped into. A pair of blue eyes blinked back.

Fai's lips parted, as if to speak, but no sound came out. Dumbfounded at first, Kurogane blinked and stared at the other man. Then, letting out a small sigh, he raised his arm, and—_WHAM_—punched Fai square in the face.

Looking dumbstruck at first, Fai rubbed his cheek and chuckled weakly. "I guess I deserved that."

Kurogane grabbed Fai's hand, pulled him up, and pressed him close to himself. "You promised you'd never leave. You've caused me a lot of grief, fool. Don't you ever do that again, understand?"

"Kurogane…" Fai mumbled. "You came for me."

Kurogane took a few steps back. "I've caused you a lot of grief too, I bet. Listen, I never truly intended to marry Tomoyo-chan, even if I knew it was the right thing to do. All I wanted to do was protect you."

"I wanted the best for you too," Fai said, smiling sheepishly. "Which is why I came to the witch. I really thought that you…" Fai trailed off, averting his eyes from Kurogane's. "I must look pathetic, huh?"

Kurogane shook his head. "I know you're strong. Stronger than anyone. You just got lost. We all do." Before Fai could answer, Kurogane added, "We need to get back to the castle. MAGI's there. Don't worry, I won't let them take you. But if we don't go back, they'll kill everyone—"

He was cut off. Fai's eyes widened. Kurogane's midsection throbbed as blood poured out. The blade gleamed crimson. As the attacker pulled it out, Kurogane fell.

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

The future was determined.

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><p><strong>BAM! the 99th daynight has come to a close! i knew from the beginning what i wanted to do with this day, but like always, new ideas come drifting through - for example, MAGI's leader. i bet some of you have already figured out who he is, right? if you haven't, you'll see in the next chapter.**

**all kinds of reviews are appreciated! since i haven't been sending out thankyou replies lately...THANK YOU TO ALL MY WONDERFUL READERS new & old, you are all very appreciated!**


	17. The 100th Day&Night

**The 100th day! Its technically the same night as in the last chapter, but its past midnight so its a new day. I'll save what I wanna say for after the chapter. Here you go~**

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><p>Fai had seen what must have been gallons of blood before; splashed on walls, carpeting floors, covering the bodies of his people. It wasn't something that particularly bothered him when he saw it; he'd almost grown used to it. Yet the blood staining the sword that pierced Kurogane could not have been redder.<p>

The sword retracted and Kurogane crumpled. The assailant slid his sword back into its sheath. He stepped forward, but Fai remained frozen, his eyes locked on Kurogane.

"Yuui," the attacked said slowly as he walked closer. "I've finally found you...after all this time."

Fai blinked. Only one person could possibly know that name anymore. "Ashura-ou..." he mumbled in disbelief.

MAGI's leader grinned a crooked grin as Fai said his name. "I'm so glad you remember me, Yuui."

"That's not my name," Fai protested weakly, his voice unsteady. He stole a glance at Kurogane. He still lay there, and Fai prayed that he was still alive.

Ashura didn't seem to acknowledge that Fai had spoken. He kneeled down next to the blonde, his face merely inches from the other's. "You were always such a...smart boy. Far smarter than your brother, I'd like to say. I thought that you, of all people would notice the curse placed upon me back then."

Fai felt as if there were something caught in his throat. He swallowed uneasily, hoping to force the feeling down. "I did notice."

Ashura's face turned slightly somber, but he managed a small, odd grin. "Yes, you did. And I asked you to kill me, Yuui. Before I grew too powerful. Before I grew,"—he tilted his head slightly to the left—"mad. Before the hunger for power ultimately consumed my sanity."

_Everyone is suffering because of me, then._

"I thirst for more power. My desire is insatiable! Your magic is brimming with strength, Yuui. You are the perfect weapon I have been searching for."

_MAGI exists because of me. I couldn't stop him. It's all my fault._

"Serve your purpose, my dear, beloved Yuui, as the Chosen One..." Ashura's words dripped slowly from his tongue as he gently brushed a blonde lock of hair from Fai's face.

_I'm certain things would be better if I didn't exist._

Ashura gasped. Blood trickled down his left shoulder. A look of surprise crossed his face for only a moment. Turning his head, he saw Kurogane clutching Ginryuu, eyes fierce and red. "Don't you...dare lay a hand on him!"

Kurogane held his sword in one hand, his wound with the other. Fai had never seen Kurogane fight before, never really knew that he could. But he had heard that before Kurogane moved to Nihon, he lived in a region of warriors. That they'd been trained to fight from a young age. No matter how long he'd been away from that, he was a warrior by blood. Not even the title of 'King' could change that.

Was that the reason Kurogane could do this, that he had always innately been tough like a warrior rather than a gentle, pampered Prince?

Ashura's eyes filled with anger, but his expression was oddly calm. "This does not concern you. I am speaking to Yuui only."

"I don't give a damn," Kurogane growled. "And didn't he say that wasn't his name?" He pulled Ginryuu out and raised his sword, as if aiming for another blow. But Ashura was faster. He swung out with his fist, and it connected to Kurogane's side. Kurogane's swing missed its target, but managed to cut Ashura's cheek slightly. Recovering immediately, he thrust his sword at Ashura again, and this time, it plunged through his lower right side.

Ashura remained calm. Staring at Kurogane, he said quietly, "You're too soft. Did you really think you could win?" Removing Ginryuu, he grabbed the blade tightly and tossed it to the right. Kurogane flew with it, hitting the nearest shelf. Various items fell down around him. He did not move.

"Kurogane!" Fai shouted, but before he could move, Ashura grabbed a fistful of Fai's hair.

"Pay attention to me!" he said, shaking Fai. "You loved me, didn't you? You looked up to me! More than anyone! Why do you resist me?"

Fai looked into Ashura's eyes. Any sanity he had left vanished from them. "You're not him. You're not the Ashura-ou my brother and I knew."

Ashura seemed not to have heard. "What do I have to do to make you pay attention to me? What is it? It's him, isn't it?" He pointed at Kurogane. "He won't let me have you, is that it? Then I must erase him!" A devious, insane smile spread across his lips.

"No!" Fai shouted, clenching his fists. Suddenly, a high-pitched wailing filled the room. Ashura moaned in agony, covering his ears. Fai thought he heard him muttering something about making it stop.

Fai's palm burned. Opening his fist, he saw the plain stone he grabbed before was now glowing. Fai looked back at Ashura. His eyes had widened, and he was murmuring something else now.

_Fluorite._

Only a second or two after he said it, an intensely bright light flashed in the room. Fai squinted his eyes against the brightness, and when his vision refocused, he saw Ashura...

...breaking into pieces.

"Ashura-ou..." Fai managed, dumbfounded. Little pieces of him seemed to be breaking off and floating into nothingness.

"Yuui..." the other said quietly, turning his head to Fai. The rage and insanity had fled from his eyes. He smiled briefly.

"Thank you, and...I'm sorry."

An odd silence fell over the room. Fai sat there, his heart pounding, staring at the place Ashura had been moments ago. Then he snapped his head back in Kurogane's direction. Scrambling to his feet, he rushed over to where the other man lay. He hadn't moved at all since he hit the shelf.

"Kurogane! Can you hear me?" His eyes moved down to the wound in the other's midsection. A small stream was still trickling out.

_If I move him, it'll start bleeding more…what should I do? _Before he had time to weigh his options, he heard someone else enter the room. He turned to face them, shielding Kurogane.

The witch stepped closer, and Fai let his guard down slightly. "Your previous wish has been nullified. Kurogane came. You're free."

Fai narrowed his eyes at the witch. "You knew all this would happen, didn't you?" he asked.

Yuko simply replied, "There is no such thing as coincidence in this world. There is only _hitsuzen_."

"Then what about Kurogane? What'll happen to him?"

"That is up to you," Yuko said evenly. "He is not dead. I would say that the force with which he was thrown was enough to break his spine. I would not advise moving him."

Fai paused for a few moments. Then, he said, "I have a wish."

"Are you willing to pay the price?"

Fai glanced back at Kurogane. He could nearly have been asleep, he thought...but the idea of his eyes being closed forever was something he could not bear.

"I am willing to pay any price."

"Very well." Yuko nodded. "What is it you desire?"

Fai explained his wish to her. Yuko nodded again, assenting that it was possible. "If that is what you wish, your price will be..."

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><p>That day...that night...<p>

Was both a beginning and an end.

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><p><strong>100 Days and Nights has come to a close! Except not exactly. I have one more epilogue-ish chapter for you guys, and then this story will finally be done. 8D I can't believe I've been doing this fic for a year. But anyway, now's not the time for nostalgia or excuses from me.<strong>

**To be honest when I first decided to use MAGI, Fei Wang was going to be their leader. But then I was like, "Oh, wait! This is a Kurofai story. Ashura would probably make more sense, right?" And so Ashura was the leader of MAGI. **

**Speaking of Ashura, I made his final words "Thank you, and...I'm sorry," because I've noticed that CLAMP likes using that A LOT. It's been awhile since I read the part where Ashura dies, so I'm not 100% sure if it's used there, but it might be.**

**I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but Kurogane's been sword training everyday since he came to the castle. It's not like he just mastered sword fighting out of the blue or because his homeland was full of ninjas and stuff. Sorry if it came across like that OTL.**

**So, what was Fai's price? What will happen afterwards? Stay tuned for the final chapter of this story: Many Days & Nights Later! See you soon!**


	18. La Commedia è Finito!

**Whoa, it's been quite a while, hasn't it? Like, its-been-almost-6-months kind of awhile. oops. Argh, I'm so very sorry! /bows deeply. My KuroFai muse started to die out on me, and I haven't had the motivation to write fanfiction in forever x.x But recently I remembered that I still hadn't given you guys the epilogue to this story that I started forever ago like I promised, and I decided to type up the rough draft that I wrote months ago just in case anyone was still following this story! I can't believe I waited so long to do this... OTL. I hope you like it anyway, though!**

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><p>Cherry blossoms were blooming everywhere across Nihon. The snow and cold had finally had come to pass. Spring had arrived.<p>

Spring was Tomoyo's favorite season—it was warm, but not overbearingly hot, and the sakura trees brought a lightness and beauty to the land. The blossoms had just started blooming in her country, but here in Nihon, they were already opened in their full glory.

"Welcome back, Tomoyo-chan!" Shira greeted her with a smile as she entered the castle. "It's been a while, huh?"

Tomoy smiled back at her. "It has. I've missed you, Shira."

"Kurogane should be out in the courtyard. I can escort you there if you like."

Nodding, Tomoyo replied, "Thank you."

Shira bounced along the corridors, Tomoyo following close behind. After a couple of minutes, they came to a door towards the back of the castle. Like all of the doors here, it was large and sturdy, with polished silver knobs engraved with fancy patterns.

"The King's Quarters are through here. If you need anything, don't be afraid to ask," Shira told her.

Tomoyo bowed her head, still smiling. "Thank you again." Walking through the door, Tomoyo entered a rather large, white room, with a king-sized bed at the back. On the bed sat Kurogane.

Slowly, she approached him. "Kurogane-kun?"

Kurogane looked up and blinked. A shadow of emotion passed over his eyes—what was it?—before he said, "Hello, Tomoyo-chan. Have a seat."

Closing the distance between them, Tomoyo sat next to Kurogane, sinking into the soft mattress.

"Touya and Yukito-san got married the other day," Tomoyo started.

"Touya's the Clow Kingdom's king, right? The princess's brother?" Kurogane asked.

"Yes," Tomoyo replied. "Sakura and Syaoran have set a date for their wedding, too. Seems like everyone's getting married." She chuckled.

Kurogane awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "I…want to apologize again for deceiving you. I—"

"Kurogane." Tomoyo gently took his right hand in both of her small ones. "You've apologized enough, and I've forgiven you. It's alright."

Kurogane knew that Tomoyo was a dream seer. She'd foreseen many possible futures and was prepared for each outcome. Not to mention she didn't seem to be very good at getting angry. Even knowing all this, Kurogane couldn't help but feel guilty.

"Really, it's alright," she continued. "My mother set me up with another person recently."

Kurogane nodded, understanding that this was one of the futures she'd seen, too. He asked no more questions.

"So," Tomoyo went on, a playful grin on her face, "have you and Fai set a date yet?"

Kurogane's face grew pink, and Tomoyo giggled. It was amusing to see someone as rough as Kurogane become bashful at the mention of the other's name. "Not yet," he admitted.

"When you do, tell me," she said, rising from the bed. "I won't forgive you if you don't!"

"Of course, Princess," Kurogane replied, gingerly taking Tomoyo's hand and kissing it.

"Kuro-wan~" a voice came from behind them. "That could be considered cheating!"

They turned, seeing Fai pouting slightly, arms crossed, wearing a kimono. His bright golden eyes were narrowed with mock anger. Tomoyo giggled again before saying, "Don't worry, Fai-kun, he's all yours."

Fai gave her a soft smile and walked over to the bed. "It's good to see you again, Princess Tomoyo."

"I'm happy to see you too," Tomoyo replied, "but sadly I can't stay very long. I have some business to take care of in town as well."

"Of course. Feel free to stop by again whenever you like!"

"Will do," Tomoyo said, making her way to the door. "I'll leave you two boys alone for now. See you around!"

Fai flung his arms around Kurogane's neck, saying "See you soon~" while Kurogane crossed his arms and looked away. Tomoyo gave them a final small wave before disappearing behind the door.

"I've never seen you so shy, Kurorin," Fai teased, resting his chin on the other's shoulder, smirking.

"Tch," was all Fai got in reply.

"I'm glad you found me," Fai said softly. "If you hadn't come after me back then, I wouldn't be able to see the cherry blossoms bloom with you."

"Well, if you didn't save me, I wouldn't be able to see things like that at all. So we're even."

"My magic was a small price to pay," Fai replied, resting his head on Kurogane's shoulder and looking up at him with his golden eyes. "No one has a reason to come after me anymore, either. So you can have me all to yourself now~"

"You better be prepared to be Nihon's next queen."

Fai beamed and kissed Kurogane on the cheek. "Of course." Then he produced a white paper bird from his kimono sleeve.

"What is that?" Kurogane inquired.

"A paper crane," Fai replied. "They say if you fold one thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true."

"Heh."

"What's so funny?"

"You and your fairy tales." Kurogane shook his head. Fai placed the crane down on the bed.

"Well, we started out with a fairy tale, didn't we?"

"True. But I think I'm done with myths and wishes for now. We have the present to worry about."

Fai grinned, grabbing onto Kurogane's arm again. "Speaking of the present, isn't today the day we announce our engagement?"

Kurogane nodded.

Intertwining his fingers with Kurogane's, he pulled him towards the door. "Well then, we mustn't keep his Majesty's people waiting~"

Kurogane instead pulled Fai closer to himself and kissed the top of his head. "Its alright…they can wait just a little bit longer."

Fai blushed, then said, "I love you, Kuro-sama."

"Love you too, fool."

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><p>The days and nights that followed...<p>

Were looked upon with bright new eyes.

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><p><strong>EN FIN! Cute little fluffiness to finish it off! Welp, I hope you liked it! This story has finally come to an end. I can't believe I've been working on it for so long. I'm really sorry again for waiting so long to put this up OTL. This story will always have a special place in my mind, even if I was lazy with the updates quite often haha. But its time to move onto bigger and better things. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS READ AND REVIEWED THIS STORY! I appreciate you all and I'm glad you stayed with me until the end! c: sayonara~<strong>


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